Detection of Integrons in Escherichia coli Associated With Urinary Tract Infections in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Treatment of Escherichia coli infections has become increasingly challenging due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant mechanisms within the bacterial genome. Integrons play an essential role in spreading antibiotic resistance. This study is aimed at detecting the prevalence of Class 1, 2, and 3 integrons among E. coli associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs). A total of 90 E. coli strains were isolated from UTI samples and tested for antibiotic susceptibility using phenotypic methods. Biofilm formation was conducted using the microtiter plate method. Conventional PCR was used to detect the integrase genes. Overall, 48.9% of E. coli isolates (44/90) were MDR, and 58.9% (53/90) were resistant to ampicillin. A total of 60% (54/90) of E. coli isolates were biofilm producers. PCR results showed that 22.2% (20/90), 6.7% (6/90), and 3.3% (3/90) of E. coli isolates were positive for Class 1, Class 2, and both classes of integrons, respectively. However, Class 3 integron was not detected in all E. coli isolates. A significant correlation was observed between the MDR and Class 1 integron (p < 0.05). There is no statistical significance between the presence of integrons and biofilm formation among E. coli isolates. Our findings revealed that the presence of Class 1 integron among E. coli isolates was associated with antibiotic resistance.