Escherichia coli strains responsible for cystitis in female pediatric patients with normal and abnormal urinary tracts have different virulence profiles

Abstract

The role of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) in colonization and infection of female patients with anatomical and functional abnormalities of the urinary system is elusive. In this study, the phenotype, genotype and the phylogeny of UPEC strains isolated from the urine of pediatric female patients with cystitis of normal and abnormal urinary tract were determined. Multiplex PCR results demonstrated that 86% of the strains isolated from female patients with normal urinary tract (NUT), belonged to the phylo-groups B2 and D. Their prevalence decreased to 23% in strains isolated from patients with abnormal urinary tract (AUT). More of the isolates from AUT patients produced a biofilm on polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), adhered to epithelial cells, and encoded pap and sfa genes than strains isolated from female patients with NUT. In contrast, a higher number of hemolysin-producing strains with serogroups associated with UPEC were isolated from patients with NUT. In summary, the results suggest that cystitis in female patients with NUT is associated with ExPEC, whereas cystitis in female patients with AUT is associated with pathogenic intestinal E. coli strains that have acquired the ability to colonize the bladder.