Detection of 16S Ribosomal RNA Methylation inExtended-Spectrum β-lactamase-Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae Clinical Isolates from Baghdad Hospitals

Fifty-eight Clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were collected from patients at Al-Kindey teaching hospital, Al-Kadhymia teaching hospital, Ibn-Albalady hospital and Al-Imam-Ali hospital in Baghdad from Urinary tract infection (UTI) patient. These isolates were diagnosed using different morphological and biochemical test followed by the complementary API 20E, isolates all screened for antibiotic resistance by rapid detection of β-lactamases production method and their minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs) were conducted by polymerase chain reaction assay. Detection of blaCTX –M gene was performed and highly resistant isolates (n=17) were selected to determine aminoglycoside resistance mediated by methylation 16S rRNA that combined with the detection of blaCTX –M gene responsible for Extended Spectrum β-lactamase (ESβLs) production. Seven 16S rRNA methylase genes were amplified, the ArmA, RmtA, RmtB, RmtC, RmtD, RmtF and npmA beside amplifying blaCTX –M gene. This study explained the physically link between blaCTX-M gene (ESβLs) production among Klebsiella pneumoniae in correlation with 16S rRNA methylation.