SHEDDING LIGHT ON GENETIC RELATIONSHIPS, PLASMID PROFILES AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PATTERNS OF CLINICAL ESCHERICHIA COLI STRAINS: PULSED-FIELD GEL ELECTROPHORESIS PERSPECTIVE

In the present work, 47 Escherichia coli isolates collected from various clinical samples were elucidated with regard to genetic relationship, antibiotic resistance and plasmid profile. The genetic diversity of the isolates was defined by the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method. With a degree of similarity of 80%, the results from PFGE separated the E. coli strains into 39 different groups representing four subtypes. Antibiotic resistance patterns and extended spectrum of beta lactamase (ESBL) producing properties of the strains were determined by using a disk diffusion and double disc synergy method, respectively. According to the susceptibility test results, 36 distinct resistance profiles (resisto type) were observed among clinical strains. The strains were mostly resistant to ampicillin (100%) and this has been followed by cephalothin and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid with the ratio of 89.36%, cefuroxime with the ratio of 87.24%, tetracycline and cefotaxime with the ratio of 80.85%. It was observed that 24 of the strains (51.06%) were defined as ESBL positive. When E. coli strains were evaluated according to plasmid size, it was determined that 27 of 47 strains (57.44%) carried plasmids and the sizes of the determined plasmids were ranging between 77.1 kb and 1.6 kb. It was concluded that plasmids of E. coli strains are randomly distributed and no significant correlation was found between antibiotic resistance patterns and plasmids.