The aim of this study is to evaluating the antibacterial activity of Laurus nobilis leaves extract on E. coli isolates. Maceration and Soxhlet apparatus were used to prepare aqueous and methanolic extracts; total phenolic content and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were conducted to determine the active compounds in the extracts. The results showed that both Laurus nobilis methanolic and aqueous extracts have a noticeable effect on scavenging free radicals. Free radical scavenging activity. The total phenolic contents were 28.60 ±0.12 and 16.58 ±0.11mg/g in 50 mg/ml, in methanolic and aqueous extracts respectively. The antibacterial activity of Laurus nobilis leaves extracts showed that the methanolic extract was more effective than

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli is the main cause of urinary tract infections, the ability of this bacteria to cause urinary tract infections is related to a variety of virulence factors that enhance colonization and evade the immune response, one of these virulence factors is cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 toxin which converts the glutamine residue to glutamic acid to activated GTPase Rho family. The study was meant to find out the prevalence rate of the cnf1 gene in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from Iraqi patients. Conventional laboratory methods were used for primary bacterial identification and molecular methods were used to confirm bacterial identity and gene detection. Escherichia coli was identified in 89/165 (53.93%) of th

In this study we surveyed the dominant normal stool flora of randomly selected healthy, young (18-23 years old), unmarried (doctrinal) Iraqi college students (males and females) for the carriage of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). ExPEC virulence was detected phenotypically by mannose resistant hemagglutination of human red blood cells (MRHA) and mannose sensitive (MS) agglutination of Bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisceae). From 88 college students, 264 E. coli isolates were obtained (3 isolates per person): 123 from 41 females and 141 from 47 males. Of these isolates, 56% (149/264) caused MS agglutination of yeast cells and 4.16% (11/264) showed MRHA. Eighty two percent (9/11) of the isolates with MRHA also caused MS agglu

According to the prevalence of multidrug resistance bacteria, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in which the essential mechanism of drug resistance is the ability to possess an efflux pump by which extrusion of antimicrobial agents usually occurs, this study aims to detect the presence of mexB multidrug efflux gene in some local isolates of this bacteria that show resistance towards three antibiotics, out of five. Sensitivity test to antibiotics was performed on all isolates by using meropenem (10μg/disc), imipenem (10μg/disc), amikacin (30 μg/disc), ciprofloxacin (5μg/disc) and ceftazidime (30 μg/disc). Conventional PCR results showed the presence of mexB gene (244bp) in four isolates out of ten (40%). In addition,25, 50μg/ml of cur

Multi-drug-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is considered a significant challenge due to its ability to resist antibiotics and form biofilms. UPEC biofilm formers are well protected and largely inaccessible to antibiotics, which leads to persistent infections and evasion of the host immune system. Understanding how ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole affect biofilm formation is essential for improving treatment strategies for urinary tract infections (UTIs). A total of 76 UPEC isolates were obtained from Iraqi patients and identified using morphological and biochemical characteristics, as well as the Vitek®-2 Compact system. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the Vitek®-2 system, whic

BACKGROUND: HLA-B27 can effect clinical presentation and course of ankylosing spondylitis. Different detection techniques of HLA-B27 are available with variable sensitivities and specificities. OBJECTIVE: To compare serologic and molecular diagnostic techniques of detecting HLA-B27 status and to correlate it with some clinical variables among ankylosing spondylitis patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 Iraqi patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were reported. HLA-B27 status was determined in all patients by real-time PCR using HLA-B27 RealFast™ kit; ELISA method was used as well to detect soluble serum HLA-B27 antigens using Human Leukocyte Antigen® kit. RESULTS:

In present study 74 specimens of urine were collected from patients suffering from urinary tract infections.Fifty (67.56%) isolates were identified as Escherichia coli. 78% of isolates were identified as extendedspectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) producer. Antibiotic susceptibility t est was done and ceftazidime wasselected to complete this study by implying stress at sub-MIC on isolate harbor high number of resistancegenes (N11) and compared with sensitive isolate (S). Only four β-lactamase coding genes were detected;blaTEM, blaPER, blaVIM and blaCTX-M-2 and N11 had blaTEM, blaPER, and blaVIM. It was found that the resistantisolate did not form biofilm when compared with the sensitive one, which formed moderate biofilm. Inaddition, ceftazidi