Virulence-associated genes and drug susceptibility patterns of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from patients with urinary tract infection

• Published in: Infection and drug resistance Vol. 12; pp. 2039 - 2047
• Main Authors: Farajzadah Sheikh, Ahmad, Goodarzi, Hamed, Yadyad, Mohammad Jaafar, Aslani, Sajad, Amin, Mansoor, Jomehzadeh, Nabi, Ranjbar, Reza, Moradzadeh, Mina, Azarpira, Samireh, Akhond, Mohamad Reza, Hashemzadeh, Mohamad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Adhesins; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacterial infections; Development and progression; Disease susceptibility; Drug resistance; E coli; Escherichia coli; Genes; Genetic research; Health aspects; Health care costs; Imipenem; Infection; Iran; Laboratories; Medical economics; Nosocomial infections; Original Research; Patients; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Quality control; Studies; Tetracyclines; UPEC; Urinary tract; Urinary tract diseases; Urinary tract infections; Urogenital system; Virulence (Microbiology); Virulence factors; Iran; Denmark; Germany; drug resistance; Iran; uropathogenic Escherichia coli; virulence factors
• ISSN: 1178-6973; 1178-6973
• DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S199764

Different phylogenetic groups, such as A, B1, B2, and D, have four functional groups - adhesins, microcins, toxins, and capsules - which can cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). A phylogenetic group with a high virulence content becomes a worldwide health concern. Resistance to antimicrobial agents increasingly complicates the management of extraintestinal infections, as a major source of illness, death, and increased health care costs. The aim of this study was to determine the virulence content and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of different uropathogenic (UPEC) phylogenetic groups in Ahvaz, Iran. Phylogenetic groups, virulence-associated genes (VAGs), and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were detected by molecular and phenotypic methods in a total of 232 clinically well-characterized strains, isolated from two collections of patients with hospital-acquired (HA) and community-acquired (CA) UTIs. Our results revealed that among 232 UPEC strains, the most frequent phylogenetic group was phylogroup D (58%) with the greatest content in virulence factors, including (23%), (76.3%, capsule), (29.6%, toxin), and (54.8%, adhesin). Phylogroups D and, to a lesser extent, B2 were the most drug-resistant phylogroups. In addition, phylogroup D was responsible for the majority of HA (64.7%) and CA (48.4%) infections. Among UPEC strains causing UTIs, different phylogroups, through different VAGs, could cause severe infection. Knowledge about the distribution of the four functional groups and VAGs belonging to these phylogroups would significantly help to confine and prevent the development of lethal infection caused by these strains.