Uropathogenic properties of Escherichia coli in recurrent urinary-tract infection.
Properties of Escherichia coli considered to be important in the pathogenesis of urinary-tract infection were investigated. The following properties were more common in E. coli strains isolated from urinary infections than in periurethral strains from healthy individuals: (i) O serogroups 2, 4, 6, 8, 18ab and 75; (ii) high K-antigen titre; (iii) production of haemolysin; (iv) production of fimbriae; (v) fermentation of salicin. The correlation between isolation of a strain from the urinary tract and possession of any single property was not strong; however, strains rich in a combination of these pathogenic properties were rarely isolated from the periurethral area of healthy subjects but were common in urinary infections. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of urinary strains had few pathogenic properties. Strains rich in pathogenic properties were more commonly isolated from upper urinary-tract infections than from lower-tract infections; this indicates that the properties of the invading organism may influence the localisation of infection.
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D012703:Serotyping; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins