Studies on plasmids of multidrug resistant uropathogens isolated from patients with urinary tract infection in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract Infections caused by multidrug resistant uropathogens have become a significant global public health problem with Nigeria being no exception. OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at profiling and curing the plasmids of selected multidrug resistant uropathogens isolated from patients with urinary tract infection in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: Isolates were obtained from urine samples of patients using standard microbiological techniques. Multidrug resistant bacterial isolates were then selected for plasmid DNA analysis and curing. RESULTS: The study revealed that E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis were resistant to the antibiotics tested. The extracted plasmid DNA showed the presence of TEM, SHV and CTX-M genes in the isolates with sizes of 400-600bp, 300bp and 500-800bp, respectively. All isolates possessed the SHV genes while few had TEM and CTX-M genes. Cells were subjected to curing and plasmid curing was achieved at 200-300µl of ethidium bromide. CONCLUSION: The reduction in percentage resistance due to plasmid curing observed in this study suggests that the resistance of the isolates to antibiotics were plasmid-mediated. Antibiogram and monitoring of plasmid mediated resistance are necessary for proper management of urinary tract infections.