Plasmid Profile of Bacteria Isolated from tears of HIV/AIDS Patients

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the presence and transfer of plasmids in bacteria isolated from tears of HIV/AIDS patients, their sensitivity and resistance to commercially available antibiotics. Design: This was a cross sectional experimental study. Materials and methods: One hundred tears samples from HIV/ AIDS patients and fifty tears samples from HIV/AIDS negative patients were screened for resistance to 14 commercially available antibiotics using disc diffusion method. Result: Three multiple antibiotics resistant strains of staphylococcus aureus and four multiple antibiotics resistance strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were identified. staphylococcus aureus strains showed 100% resistance to Ampiclox and erythromycin, 66.6% to Perfloxacin, amoxicillin and septrin, 33.33% to ciprofloxacin. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains showed 100% resistance to streptomycin, amoxicillin,
septrin and chloramphenicol. Only I strain of staphylococcus aureus showed presence of plasmid which was not transferable to Escherichia coli because of presence of disulphide crosslinked cell wall. Other strains of both staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa remained resistant after curing . Conclusion: Further studies are needed in this area to show if antibiotic resistance in HIV/AIDS positive patients could be as
a result of plasmid as well as other factors.

Key words: Plasmids, Resistance, antibiotics, bacteria