title: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Iran: serogroup distributions, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance properties.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections with global expansion. These infections are predominantly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally, 123 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from UTIs patients, using bacterial culture method were subjected to polymerase chain reactions for detection of various O- serogroups, some urovirulence factors, antibiotic resistance genes and resistance to 13 different antibiotics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to data, the distribution of O1, O2, O6, O7 and O16 serogroups were 2.43%, besides O22, O75 and O83 serogroups were 1.62%. Furthermore, the distribution of O4, O8, O15, O21 and O25 serogroups were 5.69%, 3.25%, 21.13%, 4.06% and 26.01%, respectively. Overall, the fim virulence gene had the highest (86.17%) while the usp virulence gene had the lowest distributions of virulence genes in UPEC strains isolated from UTIs patients. The vat and sen virulence genes were not detected in any UPEC strains. Totally, aadA1 (52.84%), and qnr (46.34%) were the most prevalent antibiotic resistance genes while the distribution of cat1 (15.44%), cmlA (15.44%) and dfrA1 (21.95%) were the least. Resistance to penicillin (100%) and tetracycline (73.98%) had the highest while resistance to nitrofurantoin (5.69%) and trimethoprim (16.26%) had the lowest frequencies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated that the UPEC strains which harbored the high numbers of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes had the high ability to cause diseases that are resistant to most antibiotics. In the current situation, it seems that the administration of penicillin and tetracycline for the treatment of UTIs is vain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, ShahreKord Branch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box: 166, ShahreKord, Iran. hamomtaz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Momtaz
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karimian
authors.forename: Mahboobeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madani
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Safarpoor Dehkordi
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.forename: Meysam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarshar
authors.forename: Negar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Souod
mesh_terms: D052978:Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D009582:Nitrofurantoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D056689:Uropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D010406:Penicillins; C485384:Qnr protein, E coli; D037521:Virulence Factors; D009582:Nitrofurantoin