[Comparison of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) diagnosis by serology and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)].
BACKGROUND
The identification of EPEC in clinical laboratories is based on the determination of the serotypes by agglutination with O and H antiserum. Currently the proper diagnosis of EPEC should be done by the identification of the intimin gen (eaeA) by PCR.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the diagnosis of EPEC by serotyping and by PCR.


METHODS
We collected EPEC strains, identify by their O antigen, from 4 clinical laboratories in Lima from diarrheal samples in children less than 5 years of age. In those strains we have searched for virulence genes by a real time multiplex PCR for the diarrheagenic E. coli.


RESULTS
We collected 113 strains; 82% from children less than 2 years of age. Only 15 strains (13.3%) had the intimin gene and therefore a confirmatory diagnosis of EPEC. In addition we found 3 enterotoxigenic (ETEC), 3 shiga toxin-producing (STEC), 1 enteroagreggative (EAEC) and 1 enteroinvasive (EIEC) strains.


CONCLUSIONS
PCR should be use for the proper identification of EPEC. However, molecular methods are still not easily available in clinical laboratories worldwide.
Lluque
Angela
A
Laboratorio de Enfermedades Entéricas y Nutrición (LEEN), Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú. Theresa.J.Ochoa@uth.tmc.edu
Mercado
Eric
E
Riveros
Maribel
M
Alvarado
Luis
L
Carlos
Eduardo
E
Colichón
Alejandro
A
Salazar
Eduardo
E
Ochoa
Theresa
T
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D054308:Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019081:O Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C022863:H antigen; D019081:O Antigens; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli