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Phylogenetic Classification, Biofilm-Forming Capacity, Virulence Factors, and Antimicrobial Resistance in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)

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Abstract

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the main cause of urinary tract infections; in recent years, its importance as a pathogen has increased due to the emergence of hypervirulent and multiresistant strains. In this study, 190 urinary isolates of E. coli were assigned into the seven phylogenetic groups A (11.1%), B1 (4.7%), B2 (46.8%), C (5.8%) D (25.3%) F (2.6%), and Clade I (2.1%), and various virulence genes were examined with polymerase chain reaction methods. All isolates had at least one virulence factor of the 9 analyzed fyuA (81.1%), fimH (96.8%), iutA (74.7%), ompT (66.8%), kpsMTII (66.8%), traT (58.9%), PAI (43.6%), PapAH (26.3%), and usp (3.2%). The results showed a direct relationship between the virulence factors and phylogenetic group A and B2. Further, virulence genetic profiles fimH, fyuA, ompT, traT, and kpsMTII correlated with the production of strong biofilm, multidrug resistance, and the production of moderate hemolysin. These results suggest that these strains may become reservoirs of genes that encode virulence factors, which could be transferred horizontally enhancing their genomic background and high possibility of acquiring new genetic information for possible dissemination. This study provides the first description of phylogroups in UPEC in the Colombian Caribbean and the association with virulence factor profile, antimicrobial susceptibility, and their possible role in the epidemiology in Colombia.

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Acknowledgements

Rosa Baldiris is grateful to the University of Cartagena (Cartagena, Colombia) for continuous support to her research group. Alfredo Montes thank the Administrative Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation Colciencias for its ‘Young researchers’ program. Yaleyvis Buelvas is grateful to the University of Sinú (Cartagena, Colombia) for continuous support to her research group. The authors would like to thank Dr. Sandra Perdomo for her important technical support, Dra María Cabarcas and Rafael Ruiz-Quintana for their important support in reviewing this paper, and Dra. Julia Pimienta for their important technical and clinical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Investigación Microbiología Clínica y Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia

    Rosa Baldiris-Avila & Alfredo Montes-Robledo

  2. Grupo GINUMED, Programa de Medicina, Corporación Universitaria Rafael Núñez, Cartagena, Colombia

    Alfredo Montes-Robledo

  3. Grupo GENOMA, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad del Sinú-EBZ, Cartagena, Colombia

    Yaleyvis Buelvas-Montes

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  1. Rosa Baldiris-Avila
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  2. Alfredo Montes-Robledo
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  3. Yaleyvis Buelvas-Montes
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Contributions

RB and AM conceived and designed the study; AM and YB performed the experiment; RB and AM carried out the experiment and theoretical part of this study; RB, AM, and YB wrote the first draft of the paper; RB and AM critically reviewed the paper.

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Correspondence to Rosa Baldiris-Avila.

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This contribution was based on laboratory records and not medicals records. However, it was sent and approved from the Ethics Committee contemplated in Act No. 106-15-03-18, which conforms to the academic, technical, and administrative standards in health in Colombia according to resolution 008430 of 1993.

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Baldiris-Avila, R., Montes-Robledo, A. & Buelvas-Montes, Y. Phylogenetic Classification, Biofilm-Forming Capacity, Virulence Factors, and Antimicrobial Resistance in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Curr Microbiol 77, 3361–3370 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02173-2

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