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Fluoroquinolones which are in use since 1986, are effective agents both against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Quinolones show bactericidal effect as a result of inhibition of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV enzymes. Main quinolone resistance mechanisms are chromosomal mutations in these enzymes and decreased intracellular accumulation due to efflux pumps or decreased membrane uptake. Recently a new quinolone resistance mechanism mediated by plasmids has been defined. These plasmids carry genes called as qnr. Qnr genes do not cause quinolone resistance but they cause decreased quinolone susceptibility and lead to higher minimum inhibitory concentrations. Currently there are qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD and qnrS genes. This study was aimed to investigate the presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants in Enterobacteriaceae isolates collected from four different centers in Turkey. A total of 647 isolates (387 from Trabzon, Black Sea region; 82 from Canakkale, Trace region; 96 from Ankara, Central Anatolia region; 82 from Tokat, Black Sea region) belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family collected between May-July 2009, were included in the study. Presence of qnrA, qnrB, qnrS and qnrC genes were investigated by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and confirmed by gene sequencing. The results of the PCR amplification revealed that 2 isolates were positive for qnrA, 12 isolates were positive for qnrB, 4 isolates were positive for qnrC and 10 isolates were positive for qnrS. However, the number of positive strains decreased with the use of gene sequencing, and this method led to the identification of qnrA1 in two isolates [Enterobacter cloacae (code. 796), Salmonella group B (code. 491)], qnrB1 in two isolates [Salmonella group B (code. 491), Citrobacter freundii (code. 768)], qnrB6 in one isolate [Escherichia coli (code. CC1800)], qnrB9 in one isolate [E.coli (code. CC1873)], qnrB24 in one isolate [Citrobacter koseri (code. MP5200)], qnrB27 in one isolate [C.freundii (code. 842)], qnrS1 in two isolates [E.coli (code. CC1705), E.coli (code.159)] and qnrB2 in one isolate [E.coli (code. 843)]. One of the isolates that carried the qnr gene was ciprofloxacin-resistant and two isolates were nalidixic-acid resistant. Transferable quinolone resistance due to the dissemination of qnr genes may have important impacts in terms of infection control and treatment problems. Survey of plasmid mediated quinolone resistance will help to determine the size of the issue and guide the measures that should be taken to avoid escalation of resistance and dissemination problem.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of efflux pump inhibitors on the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in fluoroquinolone-resistant 42 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n= 42), Escherichia coil (n= 97), Acinetobacter baumannii (n= 58) and Staphylococcus aureus (n= 80) strains isolated from clinical specimens. For this purpose phenylalanyl-arginyl-beta-naphthylamide (PA beta N) was used for P. aeruginosa, E. coli, A. baumannii and reserpine for S. aureus isolates as pump inhibitors. Fluoroquinolone resistance of the clinical isolates were determined by VITEK2 Compact (BioMerieux, France) automated system and confirmed with standard broth microdilution method. For the investigation of the effects of inhibitor agents, the MIC values were also determined in the presence of 25 microg/ml and 100 microg/ml PA beta N and 20 microg/ml reserpine. In the presence of 25 mg/l PA beta N, 61.9% of CIP resistant P. aeruginosa strains converted to susceptible ones, while this rate was 73.8% in the presence of 100 mg/l PA beta N. In A. baumannii clinical isolates, 8.6% and 15.5% of CIP-resistant strains have become susceptible in the presence of 25 mg/l and 100 mg/l PA beta N, respectively. Similarly the MIC values for CIP have decreased > or = 4 folds in 42.2%, and > or = 2 folds in 30.9% of E. coli isolates, in the presence of 25 mg/l PA beta N, however, there was no change in MICs of 26.9% of E. coli strains. The MIC values have also been lowered for > or = 4 folds in 83.6%, and two folds in 13.4% of E. coli strains by the use of 100 mg/l PA beta N concentration, however, no decrease in MIC values was detected in 3% of the isolates. 20 mg/l of reserpine have caused a decrease of > or = 4 folds in 8.75%, and two folds in 33.75% of S. aureus isolates, while there was no change in MIC values of 57.5% of S. aureus strains. Our results showed that PA beta N causes significant reduction in MIC values for CIP in the clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, E. coli and A. baumannii and this effect may be attributed to efflux pump inhibition. In contrast, it was concluded that reserpine does not have a considerable effect on the MIC values of S. aureus against ciprofloxacin.