Comparative Analysis of Four Genetic Markers for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Detection in Pediatric UTIs: Influence of Antibiotic Exposure on Gene Prevalence

Abstract Background: A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a health condition that affects the bladder and adjacent tissues and is brought on by bacteria. Objective: This study aimed to detect the percentage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in UTI patients under the age of 10 years using molecular methods with different genes. Materials and Methods: In this study, urine samples have been collected from 100 children, 50 of whom have UTI, while the other 50 are healthy children. Bacterial DNA was extracted from all the samples, followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using three genes responsible for the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa and one reference gene (16S rRNA) to detect the presence of the bacteria. Results: The results of 16S rRNA gene showed that 28 samples were positive. LasB gene showed that 24 samples were positive. ExoS gene showed that 11 samples were positive. plcH gene showed that 14 samples were positive. Additionally, the findings show that the use of antibiotics has a significant impact on the presence of pclH gene, as a higher number of samples showed the gene’s presence. The variations of P. aeruginosa detection highlight the significance of choosing the appropriate molecular marker for diagnostic accuracy. The 16S rRNA gene detected the highest number of positive samples. Conclusions: The positive correlation between antibiotic usage and the detection rate of the plcH gene is observed. The result of this study raises the possibility of a connection between the existence of the plcH gene in P. aeruginosa and antibiotic resistance.