Abstract
Urinary tract infection is the most frequently diagnosed kidney and urologic disease. Whether the Escherichia coli strains responsible for urinary tract infection (UPEC) carry virulence properties of diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC), 56 UPEC strains were examined for the presence of DEC and UPEC characteristics (e.g. biofilm formation, hemolysis activity, virulence genes). Among 56 UPEC strains, 21 showed capable of biofilm formation and only 5 showed hemolysis activity on sheep blood agar. In Multiplex PCR on assessment of virulence genes related to uropathogenesis; 42% was found positive for papC gene, 27% was fim1 positive, 11% was afa positive and none was found positive for sfa. Most of the isolates were found carrying none of eight diarrhea associated genes (e.g. estA, eltB, vt1, vt2, eaeA, ea, ial and bfpA) as expected. Only seven isolates were found to harbor these genes: five genes i.e., vt2, ial, eltB, bfpA and ea were found in five different isolates and two isolates were positive for estA, among these two, one was found positive for fim1, papC along with estA, a UPEC strain containing virulent gene of ETEC strain. One isolate was found carrying fim1 and vt2 showing the property of EHEC and another isolate was found positive for fim1 and ial, the characteristic of EIEC. One isolate harboring bfpA gene characterized as EPEC and the another one was found to harbor ea gene, characterized as EAEC. This study observed that most UPEC strains are unique to uropathogenesis, still very few may carry the diarrheagenic property.
Highlights
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Enteric bacteria are most commonly found as the etiologic agents of UTIs, with E. coli accounting for about 80% of UTI cases
We examined a collection of UPEC strains for the presence of characteristic virulence properties of UPEC and determined whether these UPEC strains carry virulence factors characteristic of diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) pathotypes
Summary
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs). 56 UPEC strains were examined for biofilm formation capability, hemolytic activity, presence of UTI-associated virulence genes (papC, fim, afa, sfa) and diarrhea-associated virulence genes (estA, eltB, vt, vt2, eaeA, aatA, ial, bfpA) by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The diarrheagenic genes found were vt, ial, estA, eltB, bfpA, and aatA, but only in seven isolates Of these isolates, two were positive for estA and one was positive for eltB, characteristic genes found in enterotoxigenic E. coli. Another one was characterized as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), as it was carrying the EPEC gene bfpA Another isolate was positive for ial, the characteristic gene found in enteroinvasive E. coli, and one isolate was found to harbor the aatA gene, a gene found in all enteroaggregative E. coli. Other pathogens associated with UTI include Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Enterococcus spp. [5]
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