Detection of virulence factors in α-haemolytic Escherichia coli strains isolated from various clinical materials

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2004.00922.x
• Publication Date: 2004-07-27T09:08:32Z
• Authors: E. Birošová; L. Siegfried; M. Kmet'ová; A. Makara; A. Ostró; A. Grešová; P. Urdzík; A. Liptáková; M. Molokáčová; R. Bártl; L. Valanský
• Keywords: Aerobactin; Hemolysin; Virulence factor

In total, 201 alpha-haemolytic Escherichia coli isolates from various clinical materials (urine samples and vaginal and rectal swabs) were examined by PCR for the presence of genes for the virulence factors alpha-haemolysin (hly), cytotoxic necrotising factor type 1 (cnf1), P-fimbriae (pap), S/F1C-fimbriae (sfa/foc), aerobactin (aer) and afimbrial adhesin (afaI). Among vaginal isolates, 96% were positive for cnf1, compared with 80% of urine strains (p 0.02) and 63% of rectal strains (p 0.0001). Similarly, sfa/foc-specific DNA sequences were found in 97% of vaginal isolates compared with 75% of rectal strains (p 0.004). The afa1 and aer genes were associated more with rectal alpha-haemolytic E. coli strains than with extra-intestinal isolates. The results suggested that CNF1 and/or S/F1C-fimbriae contribute to colonisation and persistence of alpha-haemolytic E. coli strains in the vaginal environment.