Resistance and Virulence Features of <i>Bacteroides</i> spp. Isolated from Abdominal Infections in Romanian Patients
Gabriela Roxana Pricop,
Irina Gheorghe,
Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru,
Violeta Cristea,
Marcela Popa,
Luminita Marutescu,
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc,
Grigore Mihaescu,
Eugenia Bezirtzoglou
Affiliations
Gabriela Roxana Pricop
Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Irina Gheorghe
Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru
Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Violeta Cristea
Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Marcela Popa
Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Luminita Marutescu
Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Grigore Mihaescu
Faculty of Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Eugenia Bezirtzoglou
Laboratory of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Orestiada, Greece
Anaerobic bacteria are predominant residents of the normal microbiota of the skin and mucous membranes but are also known to be associated with a number of human infections including peritonitis, appendicitis, abscesses, ulcers and wound infections. Herein, we investigate the antibiotic resistance profiles as well as the genetic support of antibiotic resistance and virulence determinants of anaerobic bacteria isolated from intra-abdominal infections. The study was performed on 198 Romanian patients from which different clinical samples were taken intra-operatory and sent for microbiological analyses. From the total number of isolated strains, a subset of 75 Bacteroides spp. were selected and further investigated for antibiotic resistance and virulence features, at phenotypic and genetic level. Our results obtained through the analysis of a significant number of Bacteroides strains could shed light on the virulence potential and mechanisms by which anaerobic bacteria can cause endogenous infections.
