title: Extended virulence genotypes of Escherichia coli strains from patients with urosepsis in relation to phylogeny and host compromise.
abstract: Among 75 urosepsis isolates of Escherichia coli, 29 virulence factor (VF) genes were detected by use of a novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Compared with probe hybridization, the PCR assay's specificity was 100% and sensitivity 97.1%. fyuA (yersiniabactin: overall prevalence, 93%), traT (serum resistance, 68%), and a pathogenicity-associated island marker (71%) occurred in most strains from both compromised and noncompromised hosts. Present in <20% of strains each were sfaS, focG (F1C fimbriae), afa/dra, bmaE (M fimbriae), gafD (G fimbriae), cnf1, cdtB (cytolethal distending toxin), cvaC (colicin V), and ibeA (invasion of brain endothelium). Different VFs were variously confined to virulence-associated phylogenetic group B2 (as defined by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis); concentrated in group B2, but with spread beyond; or concentrated outside of group B2. These findings provide novel insights into the VFs of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli and demonstrate the new PCR assay's utility for molecular epidemiological studies.
authors.affiliation: VA Medical Center, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, USA. johns007@maroon.tc.umn.edu
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Stell
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D014861:Washington
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers