Fahimeh Pourzal - Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University
Masoud Haghkhah - Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University

Introduction and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus is the most important etiological agent of biofilm associated-infections. It is one of the Gram-positive pathogens causing a wide range of nosocomial infections. Genes involved in biofilm formation is a defensive mechanism of this pathogen to combat the host immune response and remain stable in hostile environment. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of biofilm associated genes (BAGs). Materials and Methods: Eighty samples of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from human infections referred to the Microbiology Laboratory, Medical Research Center of Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were collected. The isolates were confirmed by phenotypic and molecular tests as S. aureus. Thirteen BAGs including rbf, SigB, SasG, icaA, sarA, icaR, icaD, clfA, clfB, fib, fnbpB, bap and fnbpA were investigated by PCR assay. Results: The results showed that sigB (93.7%) and SarA (90%) were the most prevalent BAGs followed by rbf (83.7%), fib (80%), sasG (78.7%), icaR (78.7%), clfB (78.7%), clfA (78.7%), fnbpA (73.7%), icaD (66.2%), icaA (50%), fnbpB (22.5%). However, bap was not detected in any isolate. Conclusion: Prevalence of biofilm-associated genes were relatively high among the isolates. As staphylococcal biofilms are associated with a wide variety of infections in the human body, more genotyping of the isolates is underway.

Staphylococcus aureus, Biofilm, Biofilm-associated genes, Iran