Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bacterial resistance to antibiotics is global health problem and a threat to public health in many countries. Aims The study aimed to determine the prevalence of MDR Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in UTI patients. Materials & methods The midstream urine samples of 120 patients were collected and cultured as described by the protocols at the respective sample collection sites on MacConkey Blood agar. Samples were tested by using the fully automated VITEK 2 Compact system for Gram‐negative identification and detection of antimicrobial susceptibility of microorganisms. Results The most prevalent pathogen was E. coli , which was found in 82 (68.3%) urine samples, followed by K. pneumonia , found in 38 (31.7%) urine samples. As far as antibiotic resistance is concerned, E. coli isolates were found to be highly resistant for ceftriaxone (89.0% of the isolates), ampicillin (86.6%), levofloxacin (82.9%), cefotaxime (79.3%), aztreonam (74.4%), ceftazidime (68.3%) and gentamicin, piperacillin, and trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole, 54.9 and 53.7%, respectively. The E. coli isolates were found to be relatively less resistant to imipenem (2.4%), cefepime (34.1%), and ciprofloxacin (35.4%). For K. pneumonia isolates, high resistance rates were observed for piperacillin (81.6%), levofloxacin (78.9%), ampicillin (76.3%), cefotaxime (73.7%), trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (71.1%), ceftazidime (65.8%), gentamicin (63.2%), cefepime (50.0%), and aztreonam (44.7%). However, moderate resistance rates were detected for these were found to be less resistant for imipenem (13.2%), ceftriaxone (31.6%), and ciprofloxacin (36.8%). Conclusion E. coli and K. pneumoniae from the clinical isolates displayed high resistance to many antibiotics in UTI patients.

Renal transplant patients show a high prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after the procedure. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and factors associated with the incidence of CMV infection among renal transplant patients. A total of 100 patients were recruited in this study. The CMV load in the blood of each patient was assessed using the technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The serostatus of all recipients and donors was examined preoperatively and those of the recipients again postoperatively. The association of CMV load was assessed with the following factors: age, gender, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum creatinine levels, types of immunosuppressive and induction regimens, preoperative diabetes status, and serological virologic response (SVR) at 12 weeks postoperatively. Our findings showed that CMV incidence was significantly higher in middle-aged patients (62 of 66 patients, 93.9%; p=0.0001). Furthermore, about 88.2% of patients induced by anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) showed a high viral load, significantly higher than the proportion of CMV-positive patients induced by basiliximab (p=0.001). In addition, a higher proportion of CMV-negative recipients who received the graft from CMV-positive donors and vice-versa were CMV-positive postoperatively. Administration of Valcyte 450 showed 100% efficiency in decreasing the CMV load in the patients. Among all the assessed factors, only the age of the recipients, type of induction therapy used, and the preoperative serostatus of both donors and recipients were significantly associated with the postoperative CMV incidence among the patients.

No abstract

Background: Up to date, there is no consensus on the best combination of direct-acting antiviral to treat hepatitis C virus in kidney transplant recipients. Objective: This study aims to analyze the efficacy of combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir regimen for treatment of hepatitis C virus infected kidney transplant patients. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted in a nephrology clinic and the Nephrology Center in Basrah Teaching Hospital from June 2015 to June 2018. Ledifos (90 mg Ledipasvir and 400 mg Sofosbuvir fixed-dose) was given as a single daily dose for all the participants for 12 weeks. Response for therapy was tested by follow up hepatitis C virus load at the end of 12 weeks and 24 weeks. The sustained virological response was defined as negative viral load of hepatitis C virus (aviremia) at the end of therapy. This study was done according to the Helsinki Congress. Results: A total of 60 (16 females) patients with renal transplantation and hepatitis C virus infection were included. Mean age was 40±6.2 years. A sustained virological response observed in all of the patients who received Ledifos after 12 and 24 weeks of therapy for all genotypes (1a, 1b and 4); p= 0.0001. Genotype 1a was more prevalent among males, 34 (56.6%); p= 0.0001, and it was the most common genotype tested negative serologically, 11 (18.3%). Conclusion: Ledifos therapy is effective and safe option for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in the post–renal transplant setting.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is prevalent worldwide. It belongs to the β-herpesvirinae subfamily of Herpesviridae and comprises a double-stranded linear DNA genome and capsid, surrounded by an envelope. CMV infection is most prominently found in patients with kidney failure caused by various possible reasons such as urinary tract infection or systemic disease and are undergoing dialysis. The present study was conducted during the period of March 2020 to April 2021. It included 96 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis (44 of patients were women and 52 men) within the age range of 11-70 years. Five-mL of the venous blood sample was drawn from each patient to conduct the rapid antibody test for the presence of CMV-specific antibodies (both IgG, and IgM). This study showed that the seroprevalence of CMV infection among haemodialysis patients was 75%. The seropositivity for CMV-IgG was 72.9% which was significantly higher than that for CMV-IgM (2.1%) for both sexes. The present study further demonstrated that the prevalence of positive CMV-IgG in males was higher than that in females (38.5% and 34.4%, respectively). In addition, the positivity of CMV-IgM was highest in the age group 61–70 years old (2.1%), while the positivity of CMV-IgG was highest in patients age groups 41–50 years (24%). The present study revealed a high seroprevalence of CMV infection among haemodialysis patients in Basrah City. The elevated seroprevalence could be related to many factors, including the endemicity of the virus, public health, patient immunity, environmental factors, and geographical location. CMV infection increases with age, and the infection rate in men was higher than that in women. The seroprevalence rate of CMV-IgG antibodies was higher than that of CMV-IgM antibodies, indicating a previous infection or reactivation of CMV virus among haemodialysis patients, leading to a high risk of CMV infection.