Comparative study of Escherichia coli virulence determinants in strains causing urinary tract bacteremia versus strains causing pyelonephritis and other sources of bacteremia.
To assess the role of phylogenetic background and putative virulence factors (VFs) in Escherichia coli causing urinary bacteremia, 50 strains isolated from this condition were compared with 50 strains isolated from pyelonephritis and 50 from other sources of bacteremia. papA and papGII were significantly more prevalent in urinary bacteremia and pyelonephritis (78%, 66% and 70%, 58%) than in other-source bacteremia (48% and 24%), whereas sfa/focDE and cnf1 were more prevalent in urinary-source bacteremia (56% and 44%) than in pyelonephritis and other-source bacteremia (28%, 42% and 20%, 28%). Group B2 was the most frequent in all conditions (63% of isolates) and exhibited the greatest concentration of VFs. Urinary tract bacteremia, pyelonephritis, and other-source bacteremia isolates presented similar virulence scores (7.8, 7.0, and 6.6); however, there were striking differences among the phylogenetic groups (8.7 in group B2 versus 3.4 in group A; P < .001). Group A and B1 strains almost exclusively infected compromised hosts.
Moreno
Eva
E
Microbiology Department, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
Planells
Irene
I
Prats
Guillem
G
Planes
Ana M
AM
Moreno
Gina
G
Andreu
Antonia
A
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors
D037521:Virulence Factors