title: Molecular characterization of bacteremic Escherichia coli isolates in Romania.
abstract: The increasing prevalence of invasive infections caused by antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli strains in Romanian patients, already mentioned in the European reports, requires better knowledge of their specific traits. Thus, a set of 38 E. coli blood isolates, collected between 2010 and 2012 at one of the local hospitals participating into the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network, was investigated retrospectively with respect to the phylogenetic origin, extraintestinal virulence-associated markers (i.e. fimH, papC, papG alleles, sfa/foc, afa/dra, hly, cnf1, sat, iucC, fyuA, ibeA), and beta-lactamase encoding genes (i.e. bla CTX-M, bla TEM, and bla SHV alleles). The isolates with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) phenotypes were further characterized using PCR-based replicon typing and multilocus sequencing typing. For ST131 members, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and PCR-based detection of fimH30 allele were performed. Overall, the isolates were more likely members of the major phylogenetic group A (53 %) and to a lesser extent of groups B2 (29 %), D (10 %), and B1 (8 %). All but three of the virulence markers sought (i.e. papGI, hly, cnf1) were detected with prevalence ranging from 3 % (i.e. ibeA, papGIII) to 87 % (fimH). As expected, the most complex genotypes (four to seven virulence markers) defined the isolates derived from phylogenetic groups B2 and D. ESBL producers were bla CTX-M-15-positive, mostly of phylogroup A (67 %), harboured IncF multireplicon plasmids, and belonged to six sequence types (i.e. ST10, ST131, ST167, ST410, ST540, ST1275). Members of ST10 clonal complex (i.e. ST10, ST167) were the most common. The ST131 isolates belonged to H30 subclone and displayed 74 % similarity at PFGE analysis.
authors.affiliation: Cantacuzino National Institute of Research-Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Splaiul Independentei 103, sector 5, 050096, Bucharest, Romania. rusein@cantacuzino.ro.|Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bulevardul Eroii Sanitari 8, sector 5, 050474, Bucharest, Romania. rusein@cantacuzino.ro.
authors.forename: Codruţa-Romaniţa
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Usein
authors.affiliation: Colţea Clinical Hospital, Bulevardul I.C.Bratianu 1, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papagheorghe
authors.affiliation: Cantacuzino National Institute of Research-Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Splaiul Independentei 103, sector 5, 050096, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oprea
authors.affiliation: Cantacuzino National Institute of Research-Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Splaiul Independentei 103, sector 5, 050096, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Condei
authors.affiliation: Cantacuzino National Institute of Research-Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Splaiul Independentei 103, sector 5, 050096, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strãuţ
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016470:Bacteremia; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058889:Molecular Typing; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D012383:Romania; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors; D001618:beta-Lactamases