Marzieh Saremi - Department of Microbiology, Qom branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom,
Leila Saremi - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran,
Fatemeh Feizy - Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
Somayeh Vafaei - Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
Ali Lashkari - institute of biochemistry and biophysics university of tehran
Zohreh Saltanatpour - Medical Genetics Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Razieh Nazari Nazari - ۱Department of Microbiology, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran

Introduction: An increase in the consumption of antibiotics has raised significant concerns over the treatment of Klebsiella pneumonia-infected patients. In this study, the resistance pattern of K. pneumoniae to antibiotics such as imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem, as well as the frequency of Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) genes, namely VIM, IMP, and NDM-۱ were investigated. Methods: Following the isolation of ۲۰۰ K. pneumoniae isolates from ۶۵۰ clinical samples, the antibiotic resistance pattern of these isolates against different antibiotics was evaluated. The isolates resistant to imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem were identified, and the presence of VIM, IMP, and NDM-۱ genes was examined by using PCR methods. Results: The K. pneumoniae isolates exhibited different resistance patterns in response to various antibiotics. The frequency of VIM, IMP, and NDM-۱ genes showed that ۴۸ strains are resistant to imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem in which ۱۵.۶% was positive for IMP, ۲.۴۲% for VIM, and ۱.۹۲% positive for NDM-۱ gene. The isolates showed the highest antibiotic resistance to ampicillin (۹۷.۵%) and the lowest to meropenem (۵.۵%). Conclusion: Considering carbapenem antibiotics such as imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem which are known to be among the most frequently used antibiotics for the treatment of K. pneumoniae infections and the involvement of MBL genes in this scenario, we aimed to screen and identify MBL genes responsible for the resistance of K. pneumoniae to imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem.

Klebsiella pneumonia, Metallo-beta-lactamase genes, Antibiotic resistance, PCR