The association between biofilm production and expression levels of autoinducer synthase, efflux pumps and blaOXA-51 genes of clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from Mosul city hospitals

Aims:The study aimed to isolate, identify and determine the antibiotics susceptibility, biofilm formation, the expression levels of genes associated with quorum sensing of Acinetobacter baumannii (autoinducer synthase gene), abaI gene, antibiotic resistance gene (efflux pumps), adeA gene and blaOXA-51 gene were determined by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Methodology and results:The 125 clinical samples were collected from Mosul city hospitals (Asalam Teaching Hospital, Mosul General Hospital, Aljumhurii Teaching Hospital, Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital and Specialized Burn Center) from the first of October to December 2021.The isolates were 40% burn, 32% sputum, 12% wound, 8% blood and 8% throat swabs.The results show that A. baumannii (25) isolates were distributed according to hospital sources.Antibiotic susceptibility refers to the A. baumannii infection was divided into three categories multi-drug resistance (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and non-multi-drug resistance (non-MDR), and were calculated to be 34.61%,53.84% and 11.53 respectively.The findings of biofilm production showed varying rates.The highest percentage of biofilm formation was found in burn samples (24%) and the lowest was found in blood samples and throat swabs (4%).There were significant differences between the adeA gene and the stationary phase and significant differences between the log and stationary phases within the blaOXA-51 gene.At the same time, there are no significant differences between the log and stationary phases within the abaI gene.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: These observations may pave the way for more research on QS signal molecule antagonists that could prevent clinical multidrug resistance pathogens from forming biofilms.