Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38600509›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2024

Characterization of genes related to the efflux pump and porin in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients with COVID-19 after secondary infection.

Aryan R Ganjo, Salah Tofik Jalal Balaky, Ahang Hasan Mawlood, Sakar B Smail, Nazar P Shabila

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC microbiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. ESBL-ProducingVeterinary sciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Aryan R GanjoDepartment of Clinical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Salah Tofik Jalal BalakyDepartment of Medical Analysis, Faculty of Applied Science, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq. salah.balaky@hmu.edu.krd.ORCID 0000-0001-7694-7303
Ahang Hasan MawloodDepartment of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Sakar B SmailPar Hospital, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Nazar P ShabilaCollege of Health Sciences, Catholic University in Erbil, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Hawler Medical University · IQUniversity of Kirkuk · IQUniversity of Kurdistan Hewler · IQ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEscherichia coli (E. coli) is a multidrug resistant opportunistic pathogen that can cause secondary bacterial infections in patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of E. coli as a secondary bacterial infection in patients with COVID-19 and to assess the prevalence and characterization of genes related to efflux pumps and porin.

methodsA total of 50 nonduplicate E. coli isolates were collected as secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients. The isolates were cultured from sputum samples. Confirmation and antibiotic susceptibility testing were conducted by Vitek 2. PCR was used to assess the prevalence of the efflux pump and porin-related genes in the isolates. The phenotypic and genotypic evolution of antibiotic resistance genes related to the efflux pump was evaluated.

resultsThe E. coli isolates demonstrated high resistance to ampicillin (100%), cefixime (62%), cefepime (62%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (60%), cefuroxime (60%), and ceftriaxone (58%). The susceptibility of E. coli to ertapenem was greatest (92%), followed by imipenem (88%), meropenem (86%), tigecycline (80%), and levofloxacin (76%). Regarding efflux pump gene combinations, there was a significant association between the acrA gene and increased resistance to levofloxacin, between the acrB gene and decreased resistance to meropenem and increased resistance to levofloxacin, and between the ompF and ompC genes and increased resistance to gentamicin.

conclusionsThe antibiotics ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, tigecycline, and levofloxacin were effective against E. coli in patients with COVID-19. Genes encoding efflux pumps and porins, such as acrA, acrB, and outer membrane porins, were highly distributed among all the isolates. Efflux pump inhibitors could be alternative antibiotics for restoring tetracycline activity in E. coli isolates.

Indexed as

CoinfectionCOVID-19Escherichia coli InfectionsAnti-Bacterial AgentsErtapenemEscherichia coliHumansImipenemLevofloxacinMeropenemMicrobial Sensitivity TestsPorinsTigecyclineAnti-Bacterial AgentsErtapenemImipenemLevofloxacinMeropenemPorinsTigecyclineAntibiotic resistanceCCCPCOVID-19Efflux pumpsEscherichia coli

Identifiers

PMID38600509
PMCPMC11005145
OpenAlexW4394690544

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.