Cross Resistance against some Microbicides Exposure in Clinically MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from Iraqi Patients

Background: Microbicide resistance poses a severe danger to the protection of life, health, and the prudent use of resources in order to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the linkages between tolerance towards microbicides and induction of antibiotics resistance, in addition to evaluate the expression response of efflux pump qacE∆1 gene in clinically MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Methodology: The susceptibility of 38 identified clinical P. aeruginosa isolates to certain microbicides (benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine digluconate) was examined in addition to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these agents. Furthermore, the presence and expression level of qacE∆1 gene was measured using PCR and RT-PCR. Results: The results indicated that the MIC of benzalkonium chloride ranged from 128-8µg/ml while for chlorhexidine digluconate ranged from 512-128 µg/ml. The presence of efflux pump encoded gene qacE∆1 was identified in (89.47%) of examined isolates. Quantifying the expression of qacE∆1 gene showed significantly increased in fold change upon treated with Chlorhexidine digluconate and Benzalkonium chloride about (3.953 ±0.99) and (3.783 ±0.71) respectively. Conclusion: Due to widespread use of microbicides in hospitals, concerns about the emergence and transmission of microbicide resistance genes have raised which induce the resistance antibiotic in pathogenic P. aeruginosa. In addition, a crucial correlation between the investigated microbicide and the efflux pump-encoded gene qacE∆1.