Virulence factors of uropathogenic Escherichia coli from a university hospital in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
The aim of the study was to determine the occurrence of virulence genes expressing fimbriae, production of hemolysin, colicin and aerobactin among a hundred Escherichia coli isolates obtained from in-and outpatients of a tertiary-care teaching hospital, between July and August 2000, showing clinical and laboratory signs of urinary tract infection (UTI). The presence of genes (pap, afa, sfa) for fimbriae expression was assayed using specific primers in a polymerase chain reaction. Among the isolates studied, the prevalence of the virulence factors was 96.0%, 76.0%, 24.0%, for hemolysin, aerobactin and colicin, respectively; the prevalence of genes coding for fimbrial adhesive systems was 32.0%, 19.0% and 11.0% for pap, sfa and afa respectively. The strains isolated from the outpatients displayed a greater number of virulence factors compared to those from hospitalized subjects, emphasizing the difference between these two kinds of patients.
Santo
Edilene
E
Departamento de Microbiologia, FCAV, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brasil.
Macedo
Claudia
C
Marin
José Moacir
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003087:Colicins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D003087:Colicins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D037521:Virulence Factors; C031819:aerobactin