Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Escherichia coli is the most common etiologic factor of urinary tract infection, which its most important virulence factor is P fimbriae. Uropathogenic E. coli expresses various types of adhesins, such as pili adhesins (pyelonephritis-associated pili, Pap) that mediates binding to the surface of epithelial cells of the urinary tract. This study aims to identify papC and papG genes and to evaluate antibiotic resistance level in the isolated E. coli samples.

Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 50 samples were collected from patients with urinary tract infection and after isolation of bacteria and DNA extraction, antibiotic susceptibility tests was performed by disc diffusion method using related antibiotics. Presence of papG and papC genes (class I, II, and III) was assessed by multiplex PCR method. Statistical data were analyzed using descriptive t-test.

Results: The isolated E. coli samples were susceptible to amikacin (100%) and cefepime (72%) and resistant to ampicillin (100%) and nitrofurantoin (94%). Eighteen samples (32.7%) had papG gene, of which 17 (30.9%) samples had papGII gene and 1 sample (1.8%) had papGIII gene; papGI gene was not detected in any of the samples.

Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that papC and papGI genes are the most common Pap fimbriae adhesion-encoding genes in E. coli isolated from urinary tract infection. The difference between the results of this study with those of other studies is due to geographic diversity.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; Adhesion pap, Disk diffusion antimicrobial tests; Multiplex polymerase chain reaction.