Antibiotic resistance pattern and biofilm formation among clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the pattern of antibiotic resistance and biofilm production capabilities of clinical Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) isolates in this study.

Methods: A. baumannii isolates were collected from Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital in this cross-sectional study, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations for 16 antibiotics were determined using Vitek2^® systems. All isolates were analyzed for biofilm production, then presence of biofilm-associated genes, and class I and II integron genes.

Results: 60 non-replicate A. baumannii isolates were included in this study. The resistance rates reached 100% for aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin-tazobactam, piperacillin, ticarcillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. A. baumannii isolates were most sensitive to colistin and rifampicin being the most effective treatments. Multi-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant isolates accounted for 83.3% and 16.7%, respectively. Of the isolates, 91.6% formed biofilms, categorized as 10% strong, 31.6% moderate, and 50% weak. No correlation was found between antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation. The genes csuE, abaI, and ompA were prevalent, but their distribution was similar across biofilm categories. A relationship between Int1 and biofilm production was noted.

Conclusions: The high rates of antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation, alongside the presence of integrons including class I and II, underscore the necessity for ongoing monitoring of A. baumannii. Notably, class I integron presence was significantly linked to biofilm formation. Further research is needed to explore the connection between antibiotic resistance and biofilm production in A. baumannii.

Keywords

Acinetobacter baumannii / Antibiotic resistance / Biofilm / Biofilm-associated genes / Integron

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Funding

TThis study was financially supported by the Vice Chancellor for Research Affairs, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran (Project No. 1326).

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request.

Publisher’s note

The Publisher of the Journal remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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