Background & Objectives: Previous studies demonstrated that selected probiotic bacteria elicit beneficial effects in animals. Probiotic bacteria inhibit pathogens growth in the gut, improve lipid metabolism and activate immune system of animals. In the present study Enterococcus spp were isolated from Iranian traditional cheese and their effects on intestine pathogens (Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coliand Salmonella Typhimurium) growth, serum lipids level and activation of immune systems in mice were studied.Methods: Iranian cheese samples were collected from Ardabil province. Enterococci spp were isolated using selective culture mediums and identified using API kites. Inhibitory effects of isolated Enterococci on growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and intestine pathogens (Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coliand Salmonella typhimurium) were tested using agar well method. In order to study probiotic activities of isolated bacteria in live animals, NMRI mice were divided into different groups and Enterococci was administrated orally (1 ML/mouse) with doses equal to 2 (6×108 cfu/ml) 3 (9×108 cfu/ml) and 4 (12×108 cfu/ml) Mac Farland standard for 2 weeks. After two weeks continues treatment, blood samples were collected from retroorbital sinus and serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL measured using enzymatic method. Interleukins (IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10) levels were measured using ELISA kites.Results: Results of this study demonstrated that treatment with faecium species decreases serum cholesterol and increases serum IL-10 level, while it has not showed significant effects on serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, IL-2 and IL-6 (p<0.05). Administration of faecalis species have no significant effects on lipid levels of serum (p<0.05). Moreover, results revealed that treatment with faecalis species increased IL-6 and IL-10 (p<0.05). None of the species affected pathogens growth significantly (p<0.05).Conclusion: The results obtained from current study demonstrate that continues treatment with both species can affect immune functions of animal by altering the cytokines profile and treatment with faecium species decreases serum level of cholesterol.

Background: ENTROCOCCI induced Nosocomail infections are quite prevalent in Tehran hospitals, which are the most important and also the most prevalent cause of urinary infections among gram positive bacteria. The goals of this study are defining the prevalence of different strains of ENTROCOCCI in Tehran hospitals and their resistance against commonly used antibiotics against these bacteria.Material and Methods: 339 strains of enterococci from patients of two hospitals in Tehran (labafinejad, shahid chamran hosp) were collected from both in out patients all strains were defined by bacteriologic & PCR tests and their drug resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, imipenem and chloramphenicol were defined using carbibaer method. besides dilutional method was performed to defined MIC of gentamycine, streptomycine (high dose aminoglyside resistant species) and ampicillin (on Ent.faccium spp.) Results: of the 339 entrococcus spp.273, were of faecalis strain (77.5%) and 66 were collected as faecium strain (22.5%). The E. facalis and E.facium isolates in the irresistance to ampicllim (13% versus 76.5%), penicillin (14 versus 95.13%), ciprofloxacin (57% versus 80%), nitrofurantion (17.2% versus 54%), imipenem (3.2% versus 83.3%), and chloramphenicol (4.7% versus 19.6%).All isolates of E. faeclis (n=273) were susceptible to vancomynic. Resistance to vancomycin among isolates of E. faecium (n=66) has increased from 5% in 2001 to 10.6% in 2003, though they remained susceptible to linezolid and guinoprestin/dlfoprestin. The phenotype van A was detected in all vancomycinresistant isolates of E. faecium. The rate of resistance to high level dose of getamaicin (HLGR strains) was high for both species of E. faecalis (42.4%) and E. faecium (60%).Conclusion: The high prevalence of HLGR strains has hindered the use of this antibiotic in synergistic combination with glycopeptides and betalactams. Linezolid and quinopristin dalfopristin could be a potential alternative against multidrug resistant strains of enterococci including glycopeptide resistant isolates in Iran.

Background: ENTROCOCCI is a clinically important pathogenic bacterium in UTIs. CHROMagar orientation is a recently method for rapid, easy and economic isolation and identification of ENTROCOCCI. This study compares the chromogenic media with traditional methods for presumptive identification of ENTROCOCCI from urine specimen. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 240 gram positive cocci from urine specimens. These isolated microorganisms were inoculated on CHROMagar orientation and were presumptively identified according to manufacturer instruction. The identity of all isolated microorganisms was then confirmed by conventional identification tests and compared with the results obtained from CHROMagar orientation. Results: In this study, the sensitivity and specificity of CHROMagar orientation to identify ENTROCOCCI, solely, were 100% and 40.8%, respectively. Conclusion: Although CHROMagar orientation was rapid and sensitive method for identification of ENTROCOCCI in urine culture, CHROMagar orientation alone appeared not to be very specific for ENTROCOCCI and needed to be combined with other tests for greater exclusivity. So, CHROMagar orientation media is not recommended for routine usages in medical laboratories in Iran.

Introduction: During the past two decades, ENTROCOCCI have acquired resistance to a number of clinically important antimicrobial agents. Thus, choice of antibiotic for treatment of infections caused by these bacteria has become problematic. ENTROCOCCI with various levels of resistance to vancomycin are now reported with increasing frequency from all over the world. vanA and vanB are associated with inducible high level resistance to vancomycine among ENTROCOCCI. Objectives of our study were to determine frequency of drug resistance among ENTROCOCCI Faecium and Faecalis strains and to detect vanA/B genes in vancomycin resistance strains by PCR method.Materials & Methods: 180 isolates of ENTROCOCCI were obtained from Imam RezaHospital of Kermanshah and all the Ilam Hospitals (western Iran). ENTROCOCCI were identified by standard methods. Sensitivity testing was carried out by standard disc diffusion method due to CLSI procedure using 12 different antibiotics. MIC was determined for vancomycin resistence isolates by E.test method. PCR was used for detection of vanA and vanB genes.Findings: Of all the 180 isolates, 128 isolates E. faecalis and 52 isolates were E. faecium. The rates of resistance to antibiotics were as follows: erythromycin 1.61% ampicilin 59/4%, Gentamicin 2.2%, cefotaxime 18.3%, vancomycin 8.3%, meropenem 5.5%, chloramphenico l36.1%, streptomycin 31.1%, tetracycline 24.4%, lincomycin 14.4%, ticoplanin 21.1%, amikacin and ciprofloxacin3.8%. MIC was 32-256 ug for isolates resistance to vancomycin. Of the 15 isolates, 12 vanA were obtained, while no other gene was found in our isolates.Discussion & Conclusion: This study showed that frequency of vanA among ENTROCOCCI isolates is not common and vanA genes were found; in 12 isolates only although vanB genes were not observed among the isolates.

Background and Objectives: Enteroccoci organism producing life threatening infections such as endocarditis, septicemia, meningitides and urinary tract infections create a state of necessity of more research in this area. Hence we studied the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Enterococci isolated from clinical samples. Materials and Methods: Between 2001-2002 enterococci were isolated from different clinical speciments. Antibiotic susceptibility of isolates were examined with disk diffusion test to vancomycin and other panel of antibiotics. For vancomycin, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were also determined by macro-dilution broth according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) method. The presence of plasmids in vancomycin resistant and vancomycin susceptible enterococci was also compared. Results: From a total number of 52 enterococci isolates the majority of isolates were E. faecalis (92.3%) while only E. faecium were isolated in (7.7%). Two (3.8%) out of 52 isolates were VRE, with MIC of 8³mg/ml to vancomycin. Among 52 isolates, we found resistance to oxacillin in (100%); penicillin: 98.1%, co-trimoxazole: 94.2%, doxycycline: 84.6%, gentamicin: 69.2%, nitrofurantoin: 34.6%, ampicillin: 57.7%. Plasmid bands of 4.5, 17.2, 23.5kb were only observed in two vancomycin resistant isolates. Conclusion: The findings of this study show an emerging of vancomycin resistant enterococci among resistant ENTROCOCCI. Resistance of enterococci isolates against majority of common antibiotics has been increased.

Background and Objectives: During the last decade, enterococci have become important nosocomial pathogens, representing the second leading cause of urinary tract infections. This increasing prevalence has been paralleled by the occurrence of multi-drug resistant (MDR). The aim of this cross-sectional prevalence study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus faecium isolated from clinical samples in hospitalized patients in Kashan, Iran.Material and Methods: This descriptive study was done on clinical specimens isolated from hospitalized patients, from September 2007 to 2008. A total of 106 E. faecalis strains were isolated from collected specimens. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was determined with disk diffusion method as per CLSI instructions. The minimal inhibitory concentration of vancomycin assayed by E test.Results: From 128 isolated enterococci, 106 (82.8 %) were identified as Enterococcus faecalis and 22 (17.2%) were Enterococcus faecium. According to the results of susceptibility testing, the resistance rates for E.faecalis were as follows: erytromycin 56 (52.8%), ciprofloxacin 43 (40.6%), gentamicin 41 (38.7%), levofloxacin 36 (34%), penicillin 31 (29.2%), nitrofurantoin 20 (18.8%), ampicillin 12 (11.3%), Imipenem 11 (10.4%), and vancomycin 6 (4.7%). All isolates were sensitive to linezolid. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype (resistance to three or more of drugs) occurred in 40(37.7%) of the isolates.Conclusion: Emergence of multidrug-resistant E.faecalis and high level resistance to vancomycin shown by E.faecalis strains is of concern because of the limitation in the therapeutic options for treatment of infections caused by enterococci.

Male urogenital tract infection plays an important role in men infertility. Asymptomatic bacteriospermia has been paid attention as a major cause of male infertility. The aim of this study was to microbiological investigation of semen sample of infertile men attending to infertility clinic and evaluation of the effects of bacteriospermia on semen quality. Eighty eight infertile men were evaluated by standard bacterial culture method. Standard semen analysis was performed according to WHO guidelines. Among total cases, 35.22% (31 cases) showed at least one pathogen: 10.22% E.coli, 9.09% Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (Saprophyticcus), 6.81% Group B Streptococci, 5.88% ENTROCOCCI, 5.68% Candida sp., 2.27% Gonococci, 2.27% Staphylococcus aureus, 1.13% Klebsiella sp. and 1.13% Providencia sp. There was a significant relation between the bacteriospermia and the rate of no motile and morphologically abnormal sperms (P<0.0001). The quality of sperm motility was significantly decreased in contaminated semen. The percentage of morphologically normal sperm was lower. E.coli and ENTROCOCCI were the most effective agents against sperm parameters. Asymptomatic bacteriospermia has a negative effect on sperm quality. E.coli and ENTROCOCCI are the most common bacteria with negative influence on sperm motility and morphology. Moreover, presence of bacteriospermia and leukocytospermia did not correlate with each other (P>0.05). It seems that leukocytospermia is a poor marker to predict bacteriospermia.      

Background: Antibiotic resistance is an important cause of treatment failure and re-infection in enterococci. In this study, the frequency of phenotype and genotype of Van A-B genes in Vancomycin resistant enterococcus isolated from a clinical sample of Imam Hossein Hospitals in Tehran was determined. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study in 2018, a total of 76 vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Imam Hossein Hospitals in Tehran were evaluated, including those from blood, urine, sputum, and wound. The frequency of phenotype and genotype of Van A-B genes in them was determined by MIC Epsilometer test and Multiplex Real-time PCR. Results: The 160 isolates of enterococci collected from different hospital wards revealed that 76 (47%) enterococci were resistant by applying MIC E-test; interestingly, all VRE isolated showed high-level vancomycin resistance. The Real-time-PCR assay demonstrated vanA gene in 76 (100%) VRE isolates. Considering to controls no van B gene was detected in this assay. Based on bacterial phenotype tests, the results showed that 82% and 18% of the isolates were E. faecium and E. faecalis, respectively. Conclusion: Totally, it may be concluded that Van A gene is more accompanied by high-level Vancomycin Teicoplanin resistance in common enterococci species. The frequency of Vancomycin resistance entrocooci is increasing especially among ICU admitted patients. For effective treatment MIC test and Van A-B genotyping seem to be essential.