Comparison of extended virulence genotypes for bacteria isolated from pediatric patients with urosepsis, acute pyelonephritis, and acute lobar nephronia.
BACKGROUND
Despite recent advances in molecular epidemiology and pathogenecity analyses of extraintestinal Escherichia coli infections, detailed analyses identifying virulence factors of E. coli isolates from pediatric urosepsis patients have not been reported. This study was conducted to explore and differentiate bacterial virulence factors associated with urosepsis and 2 other severe parenchymal infections, acute pyelonephritis (APN) and acute lobar nephronia (ALN), in pediatric patients.


METHODS
Patients included in this study were those who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of urosepsis, APN, and ALN, without underlying disease or structural anomalies, excluding those with vesicoureteral reflux. Patients with cystitis were included as controls. E. coli isolates from urine (cystitis, APN, and ALN) or blood (urosepsis) specimens were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 25 virulence genes.


RESULTS
A total of 147 children (24 cystitis, 45 APN, 48 ALN, and 30 urosepsis) were enrolled in the study. Distinct syndrome-specific differences in the distribution for certain virulence genes, but conservation across syndromes for others, were found. In addition, urosepsis isolates presented higher aggregate virulence factor scores (P < 0.0001) compared with cystitis, APN, and ALN isolates. By contrast, cystitis isolates showed significantly lower aggregate virulence factor scores than all 3 invasive urinary bacterial infections; APN (P < 0.01), ALN (P < 0.01), and urosepsis (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggested that urosepsis isolates carry more virulence factors and are likely more urovirulent compared with cystitis, APN, and ALN isolates.
Cheng
Chi-Hui
CH
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Tsau
Yong-Kwei
YK
Kuo
Chen-Yen
CY
Su
Lin-Hui
LH
Lin
Tzou-Yien
TY
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009393:Nephritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D056689:Uropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors