title: Identification & characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from patients with diarrhoea in Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli are important serotypes of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subgroup that cause attaching and effacing lesions in enterocytes by producing verotoxins or shiga-like toxins resulting in haemorrhagic colitis (HC) and haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The aim of this study was to detect these serotypes specially E. coli O157:H7 in stool samples of patients with diarrhoea and identification of virulence genes (STX1, STX2, Hly and EAE) in Shahrekord-Iran area using PCR technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred diarrhoeal stool samples of patients were collected through 2007-2008. Microbiological and biochemical examinations were done to detect the E. coli. Serological tests carried out to identify the O157 or O157:H7 serotypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 58 E. coli isolates, 16 (27.6%) were detected as STX1 carrying E. coli, four (6.9%) carrying STX2, eight (13.8%) carrying both STX1 and STX2, and 12 (20.7%) were Hly carrying E. coli, but none of the isolates contained EAE gene. None of the isolates were E. coli O157 or O157:H7 serotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results revealed that verotoxigenic E. coli isolates other than O157 serotype were involved in causing diarrhoea in Shahrekord-Iran.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonoses Research, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord-Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonyadian
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Momtaz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Habibian
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yazdani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamani
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1 / Q000235:genetics; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000235:genetics; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C036507:Hlya protein, E coli; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; D022603:Shiga Toxins; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli