Detection of class 1 integron in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates collected from nine hospitals in Turkey

Objective:To investigate the antibiotic resistance genes inserted into class I and class 2integrons in Acinetobacler baumannii[A.baumannii)isolates obtained from nine different cities in Turkey.Methods:A collection of 281 A.baumannii clinical isolates were collected from nine diferenl state hospitals in Turkey and were confirmed as A.baumannU by conventional biochemical,API testing and bla_(-OXA-51)specific PCR.The isolates were examined by PCR for existence of class I and2 integron gene cassettes.Results:They were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and the highest resistance rates were determined for piperacillin(90.03%),ciprofloxacin(87.54%),cefepime and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole(81.13%).The lowest resistance rates was for cefotaxime(3.55%).class 1 integrons were detected in 6.4%(18/281)of A.baumannii strains and no class 2 integron was detected.The gene casselles of class 1 inlegrons AacCI-AAC(3)l-aadAI,AacCI-aadA1,AAC(3)-I,AAC(3)-I-AAC(3)-I-aadA1,TEM-1.AAC(3)-I-aadA1-AAC(3)-I-AAC(3)-I,AAC(3)-I-AAC(3)-I-AAC(3)-I-aadA1,AAC(3)-I-aadA1,AAC(3)-I-AAC(3)-I,AAC(3)-I-aadA1-AAC(3)-I-aadA1,AAC(3)-I-AAC(3)-I-aadA1-AAC(3)-I-aadA1 were detected in eighteen strains.The aac genes family were most frequently found integrated into the class 1 inlegrons and it was followed by aadA genes and TEM-1 genes.Conclusions:This is an extensive study on the distribulion of class 1 integron among A.baumannii in Turkey.In addition to these,two new alleles were observed.Their percentage rates of similarity to other cassettes are 95%aadA1(TK A18)and 89%,aadA 1(ANKA3).