evaluation of the relatedness between the biofilm-associated genes and antimicrobial resistance among acinetobacter baumannii isolates in the southwest iran

Background and objectives: increasing antimicrobial resistance among acinetobacter baumannii (a. baumannii) strains poses a significant challenge, particularly in intensive care units (icus) where these bacteria are common causes of hospital infections. biofilm production is recognized as a key mechanism contributing to this resistance. this study aims to explore the relationship between biofilm production, the presence of biofilm-associated genes, and antibiotic resistance patterns in a. baumannii isolates obtained from icu patients. materials and methods: we collected 100 a. baumannii isolates from icu patients at nemazee hospital in shiraz, iran. antimicrobial susceptibility testing (ast) was performed using the kirby-bauer disk diffusion method, and biofilm production potential was assessed through the tissue culture plate (tcp) method. additionally, we investigated eleven biofilm-related genes (ompa, bap, csue, epsa, blaper-1, bfms, pgab, csga, fimh, ptk, and kpsmii) in all isolates using polymerase chain reaction (pcr). the rep-pcr technique was utilized to analyze the genetic relatedness of the isolates (fig. 4).results: all isolates displayed multi-drug resistance, with the highest resistance rates observed against ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (100%). gentamicin and amikacin showed the lowest resistance rates at 70% and 84%, respectively. a total of 98% of the isolates were capable of biofilm production, with 32% categorized as strong biofilm producers. the most frequently detected biofilm-associated genes included csue (99%), bfms (98%), ompa (97%), and pgab (89%).conclusion: biofilm production significantly contributes to the prevalence of multi-drug resistant a. baumannii strains. it is essential to implement effective antimicrobial stewardship and develop innovative anti-biofilm strategies to address this global health issue.