Escherichia coli O128 strains from infants with diarrhea commonly show localized adhesion and positivity in the fluorescent-actin staining test but do not hybridize with an enteropathogenic E. coli adherence factor probe.
Twenty-nine strains of Escherichia coli O128 isolated from infants with diarrhea that did not produce heat-stable enterotoxin, heat-labile enterotoxins, or Vero cytotoxin showed localized attachment to HEp-2 cells (LA). Only four strains hybridized with the enteropathogenic E. coli adherence factor (EAF) probe. One of the 25 LA+ EAF- strains attached to 72% of cells, while a plasmid-negative variant attached to 0.5% of cells. LA+ EAF- and LA+ EAF+ strains gave a positive fluorescent-actin staining test that correlates with the ability to cause attaching and effacing lesions in the intestine. The use of the EAF probe alone to detect LA+ strains is inadequate for epidemiological studies.
Scotland
S M
SM
Division of Enteric Pathogens, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, United Kingdom.
Smith
H R
HR
Rowe
B
B
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015342:DNA Probes; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014774:Virulence
D000199:Actins; D015342:DNA Probes