Abstract

GENOTYPIC AND PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME VIRULENCE GENES OF KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE IN HILLA CITY

Massar A. M. AL-A`ammary*, Jawad K. Al-Khafaji and Ifad K. Al-Shibly

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative, non-motile, lactose fermenting, rod-shape organism. Although found in the microbiota, K. pneumoniae is frequently associated with hospital-acquired infections and can progress into severe illness. This study aims to detect some genes of virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from different clinical samples in Hilla city, Iraq. A total (200) clinical samples were collected from different sources of patients from both sexes. Primary bacterial isolation was done, followed by phenotypic detection of some virulence factors, then molecular detection of virulence genes was done by genomic DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). From a total of (200) clinical samples, only twenty isolates (10%) of Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified according to the cultural characteristics and biochemical tests. Most isolates were in male gender, mean age of isolation was 14.9 years. Phenotypically all Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were positive for urease, siderophore, colonization factors antigens and capsule production. Similarly, all isolates had strong ability for stone formation after incubation in normal sterile urine. While only 40% of isolates had high capacity for biofilm formation. Genotypic study revealed that among total of 20 local isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, all of the twenty isolates (100%) were negative for mag A gene, Kfu gene was detected in 5 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae (25%) and absent in 15 (75%) isolates. While Uge gene was found in two isolates (10%) only.

Keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae, mag A gene, Kfu gene, Uge gene.