Virulence properties of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from children with urinary tract infection in Korea

Genes Genomics. 2018 Jun;40(6):625-634. doi: 10.1007/s13258-018-0664-6. Epub 2018 Feb 14.

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common types of bacterial infection in humans in various parts of the world and are caused mainly by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). A total of 58 UPEC isolates from urine were characterized by serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The majority of the UPEC strains belonged to serogroups O2 and O6. The UPEC strains were grouped under different pulsotypes and majority of them belonged to serogroups O2 and O6. Among the 14 virulence factors considered, 13 were present in various serogroups. The virulence genes fimH and sfa were present in all the isolates while none of the isolates carried lt-1. The strains exhibited 36 different virulence patterns, of which 11, referred to as UP (UPEC pattern) 1 to UP 11 were most common. Antibiotic resistance profiling of the UPEC isolates revealed that the serogroups O2 and O6 contain the highest number of resistant strains. The data from the current study depicting the distribution of UPEC strains among various serogroups and pulsotypes, and the occurrence of virulence genes and antibiotics resistance offer useful information on the epidemiological features of UPEC in Korea for the enhanced surveillance of potential emergence of UPEC.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Pulsed field gel electrophoresis; Serotype; Uropathogenic Escherichia coli; Virulence genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Escherichia coli Infections / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Republic of Korea / epidemiology
  • Serogroup
  • Serotyping
  • Urinary Tract / microbiology
  • Urinary Tract Infections / epidemiology*
  • Urinary Tract Infections / microbiology*
  • Uropathogenic Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Uropathogenic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Virulence
  • Virulence Factors / analysis

Substances

  • Virulence Factors