title: Heterogeneity among strains of diffusely adherent Escherichia coli isolated in Brazil.
abstract: One hundred twelve diffusely adherent Escherichia coli strains isolated from children in a case control study were evaluated for virulence-associated characteristics, serotyping, antibiotic resistance, and plasmid profiles. Half of the strains hybridized with the probes for icuA (aerobactin) and fimH (type 1 pili); daaE (F1845 fimbriae), afa (afimbrial Dr adhesin), agg-3A (aggregative adhesion fimbria type III fimbriae), pap (P fimbriae), astA (EAST1 toxin), and shET1 (Shigella enterotoxin 1) sequences were present in <20% of the strains. The shET1 gene was noted most frequently in strains isolated from patients. A minority (7%) of the strains produced hemolysin or colicin or showed cytotoxic effects on Vero cells. Forty-five different serotypes were found. The majority (70%) of the strains presented multiple antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance and diffuse adherence were located on the same conjugative plasmids. These results suggest that the transfer of these potential virulence markers could be important in the epidemiology of diffusely adherent E. coli.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Botucatu, 862 -3 andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil CEP 04023-062.
authors.forename: Lucia M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Sandra H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fabbricotti
authors.forename: Antonio J P
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Maria A M F
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michalski
authors.forename: Isabel C A
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Scaletsky
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010957:Plasmids; D012703:Serotyping; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors