title: Prevalence of genes encoding virulence factors among Escherichia coli with K1 antigen and non-K1 E. coli strains.
abstract: Multiplex PCR was used to detect genes encoding selected virulence determinants associated with strains of Escherichia coli with K1 antigen (K1(+)) and non-K1 E. coli (K1(-)). The prevalence of the fimA, fimH, sfa/foc, ibeA, iutA and hlyF genes was studied for 134 (67 K1(+) and 67 K1(-)) E. coli strains isolated from pregnant women and neonates. The fimA gene was present in 83.6 % of E. coli K1(+) and in 86.6 % of E. coli K1(-) strains. The fimH gene was present in all tested E. coli K1(+) strains and in 97.0 % of non-K1 strains. E. coli K1(+) strains were significantly more likely to possess the following genes than E. coli K1(-) strains: sfa/foc (37.3 vs 16.4 %, P = 0.006), ibeA (35.8 vs 4.5 %, P<0.001), iutA (82.1 vs 35.8 %, P<0.001) and hlyF (28.4 vs 6.0 %, P<0.001). In conclusion, E. coli K1(+) seems to be more virulent than E. coli K1(-) strains in developing severe infections, thereby increasing possible sepsis or neonatal bacterial meningitis.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, 13-15 Jagiellonska Street, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors: Agnieszka
authors: A
authors: Kaczmarek
authors: Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, 13-15 Jagiellonska Street, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Budzyńska
authors: Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, 13-15 Jagiellonska Street, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors: Eugenia
authors: E
authors: Gospodarek
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D011247:Pregnancy; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D037521:Virulence Factors; C036962:capsular polysaccharide K1