[Hemorrhagic colitis caused by verotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Presentation of 9 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of nine patients with enteritis caused by verocytotoxin-producing E. coli O157.


METHODS
Clinical data of patients was collected retrospectively, the isolated strains were tested for verotoxin production (VT) using Vero cell culture line, and presence of VT1 and VT2 gene sequences was detected using amplification techniques (PCR), biotype was also determined using twelve biochemical tests, and genomic macrorestriction profile (PFGE).


RESULTS
The patients' age ranged from 11 months to 70 years. The mean duration of diarrhea was 4.7 days. All patients but one had abdominal cramps, seven of nine reported hemorrhagic stools and six had fever. Three patients were affected of haematologycal neoplasia and two of them developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome as a complication. All strains produced VT2 and two of them also produced VT1. Epidemiological link between patients has not been established. Three different biotypes had been distinguished between the nine isolated strains. All but two had different macrorestriction profiles.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained showed that clinical manifestations are rather inespecific, including fever (6/9 patients) and there is high association of severe complications. The heterogeneity in PFGE results obtained confirms that the cases are not related.
Prats
G
G
Servicios de Microbiología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona.
Frías
C
C
Margall
N
N
Llovet
T
T
Gaztelurrutia
L
L
Elcuaz
R
R
Canut
A
A
Bartolom-e
R M
RM
Torroba
L
L
Dorronsoro
I
I
Coll
P
P
Mirellis
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1
Colitis hemorrágica por Escherichia coli verotoxigénica. Presentación de 9 casos.