Abstract
The pathogenicity of Escherichia coli strains that cause cervico-vaginal infections (CVI) is due to the presence of several virulence genes. The objective of this study was to define the variability regarding the genotype of antibiotic resistance, the transcription profiles of virulence genes after in vitro infection of the vaginal cell line A431 and the phylogroup composition of a group of cervico-vaginal E. coli strains (CVEC). A total of 200 E. coli strains isolated from Mexican women with CVI from two medical units of the Mexican Institute of Social Security were analysed. E. coli strains and antibiotic resistance genes were identified using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and phylogroups were identified using multiplex PCR. Virulence gene transcription was measured through reverse-transcriptase real-time PCR after infection of the vaginal cell line A431. The most common antibiotic resistance genes among the CVEC strains were aac(3)II, TEM, dfrA1, sul1, and qnrA. The predominant phylogroup was B2. The genes most frequently transcribed in these strains were fimH, papC, irp2, iroN, kpsMTII, cnf1, and ompT, mainly in CVEC strains isolated from chronic and occasional vaginal infections. The strains showed a large diversity of transcription of the virulence genes phenotype and antibiotic resistance genotype, especially in the strains of phylogroups, B2, A, and D. The strains formed 2 large clusters, which contained several subclusters. The genetic diversity of CVEC strains was high. These strains have a large number of transcription patterns of virulence genes, and one-third of them carry three to seven antibiotic resistance genes.
Highlights
Vaginal colonisation by Escherichia coli causes several genitourinary diseases, including pelvic inflammatory disease, urinary tract infection [1], and neonatal meningitis during pregnancy [2]
The objective of this study was to simulate the conditions of a vaginal infection caused by clinical isolates E. coli to determine the variability regarding the genotype of antibiotic resistance, the transcription profiles of virulence genes after in vitro infection of the vaginal cell line A431 and the phylogroup composition of a group of cervicovaginal infections (CVI)-causing E. coli strains
The majority of E. coli strains were isolated from women with occasional infection, in relation to recurrent and chronic infection (Table 4)
Summary
Vaginal colonisation by Escherichia coli causes several genitourinary diseases, including pelvic inflammatory disease, urinary tract infection [1], and neonatal meningitis during pregnancy [2]. The pathogenicity of E. coli is due to several virulence factors including adhesins, iron acquisition systems, toxins, and protectins [5]. The genes encoding these virulence factors are often found in pathogenicity islands, which can be transferred horizontally by transposons, bacteriophages, or plasmids [6]. The objective of this study was to simulate the conditions of a vaginal infection caused by clinical isolates E. coli to determine the variability regarding the genotype of antibiotic resistance, the transcription profiles of virulence genes after in vitro infection of the vaginal cell line A431 and the phylogroup composition of a group of CVI-causing E. coli strains
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