مشخصات پژوهش

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, the use of antibacterial potential of bacteriophages has been considered as an effective approach in controlling the infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS After isolating lytic bacteriophage (PKpMa1/19) against K.pneumoniae PTCC1290 by agar bilayer method, purification, titration and enrichment of the bacteriophage were performed. Morphological characteristics of PKpMa1/19 were determined using electron microscopy. One step growth, latent period, burst size and lytic activity of the phage in different environmental conditions (temperature, pH, UV and Chloroform) were determined. In the next step, host range of the bacteriophage was evaluated against different clinical isolates from clinical infections using spot test. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Bacteriophage belonging to Tectiviridae family was isolated and purified. Its latent period and burst size were 20-25 min and 311 PFU, respectively. Appropriate lytic effect of the bacteriophage was shown between -22 and 37 ℃. Stability of the phage was high in pH= 4-10. Chloroform had no effect on viability of the phage. The phage (PKpMa1/19), was effective against one of the 20 clinical isolates of K.pneumoniae, but it showed antibacterial effect on 10 Pseudomonas aeroginosa and 16 Staphylococcus aureus isolates. CONCLUSION Phage therapy could be a natural biologic approach against clinical isolates of bacteria in nosocomial infections, but evaluation of antibacterial effects of candidate phage(s) against causative bacterial isolates and determining their characteristics is essential for therapeutic application.