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Molecular epidemiology of 3 putative virulence genes for Escherichia coli urinary tract infection - usp, iha, and iroN<inf>E. coli</inf>

Abstract:

This study describes the epidemiological association of 3 putative genes for virulence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli; uropathogenic specific protein (usp), a Vibrio cholerae zot gene homologue; IrgA homologue adhesin (iha), a nonhemagglutinating adhesin; and iroNE. coli, a catechole siderophore receptor homologue. We compared the relative frequency in urinary tract infection (UTI) isolates (n = 508), compared with non-UTI isolates (n = 416). iroNE. coli occurred 2.1-3.6 times more frequently in UTI isolates than in rectal isolates (P = 1.1 × 10-18 to P = 2.7 × 10-5) and was associated with several uropathogenic virulence genes found on pathogenicity islands. usp occurred more frequently in isolates from patients with pyelonephritis (P = 3.6 × 10-9), in periurethral isolates (P = .001), and in isolates from patients with UTI who were aged 40-65 years (P = .004), when compared with the rectal isolates; iha was not associated with UTI in this study.