1.Virulence-associated traits and antimicrobial resistance of the uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains in relation to phylogenetic background and host factors from Malaysian patients
Jia-Jin Chin ; Quok-Cheong Choo ; Murnihayati Hassan ; Wai-Yew Ho ; Choy-Hoong Chew
Malaysian Journal of Microbiology 2023;19(no.2):211-221
Aims:
Hundreds of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) lineages with diverse virulence-associated traits have been reported worldwide. However, the complex interactions between the bacterial traits and host factors remain largely unexplored. This study was aimed to determine the distribution of virulence-associated traits, phylogenetic background and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the UPEC isolates in relation to the host factors.
Methodology and results:
Polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) were conducted to determine the prevalence of 32 virulence genes (VGs), eight pathogenicity island (PAI) markers and phylogroups of 105 UPEC isolates. The
antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method. Results suggest that the virulenceassociated traits and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the UPEC strains were associated with phylogenetic background, host age and gender. Most of the virulence-associated traits tested were distributed prevalently in phylogroup B2, age group 40-59 and male gender, including papC, papG II_III, papG allele III, sfa/focDE, yfcV, hlyA, cnf1, cdtB, malX, PAI I536, PAI II536, PAI ICFT073, PAI IICFT073 and PAI IIJ96. Besides, higher rates of multidrug resistance (MDR) were significantly associated with non-phylogroup B2 (25/38; 65.8%; p<0.05) and age group 60-79 (29/42;
69.0%; p<0.05) but not with male gender (14/25; 56.0%; p=0.527). The UPEC strains collected from males and age 60-79 were significantly resistant to cefuroxime, cefotaxime and ceftazidime (all p<0.05).
Conclusion, significance and impact of study
Research findings elucidate the key molecular characteristics of the UPEC strains in relation to the host age and gender.