title: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains may carry virulence properties of diarrhoeagenic E. coli.
abstract: To analyze whether Escherichia coli strains that cause urinary tract infections (UPEC) share virulence characteristics with the diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) pathotypes and to recognize their genetic diversity, 225 UPEC strains were examined for the presence of various properties of DEC and UPEC (type of interaction with HeLa cells, serogroups and presence of 30 virulence genes). No correlation between adherence patterns and serogroups was observed. Forty-five serogroups were found, but 64% of the strains belonged to one of the 12 serogroups (O1, O2, O4, O6, O7, O14, O15, O18, O21, O25, O75, and O175) and carried UPEC virulence genes (pap, hly, aer, sfa, cnf). The DEC genes found were: aap, aatA, aggC, agg3C, aggR, astA, eae, ehly, iha, irp2, lpfA(O113), pet, pic, pilS, and shf. Sixteen strains presented aggregative adherence and/or the aatA sequence, which are characteristics of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), one of the DEC pathotypes. In summary, certain UPEC strains may carry DEC virulence properties, mostly associated to the EAEC pathotype. This finding raises the possibility that at least some faecal EAEC strains might represent potential uropathogens. Alternatively, certain UPEC strains may have acquired EAEC properties, becoming a potential cause of diarrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cecilia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Fábia A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.forename: Ivan N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Falsetti
authors.forename: Mônica A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Jesús E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Antônia M O
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Waldir P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Rodrigo T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hernandes
authors.forename: Tânia A T
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins