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Clinical and microbiological characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates causing community-acquired urinary tract infections

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Abstract

Background

Klebsiella pneumoniae is the second most common species causing urinary tract infections (UTI). However, the host factors and virulence genes of K. pneumoniae related to UTI are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the capsular phenotype and virulence genes of K. pneumoniae isolates and host factors potentially relevant to community-acquired UTI.

Methods

Fifty-four K. pneumoniae isolates from patients with community-acquired UTI, 76 isolates from healthy adults, and 29 from patients with community-acquired pneumonia were compared. The virulence genes (rmpA, magA, uge, and wabG) and serotype (K1, K2, K5, K20, K54, or K57) were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The modified string test was used to determine the hypermucoviscosity.

Results

Diabetes mellitus was the most frequent underlying disease among UTI patients (53.7%, 29/54). No predominant K serotype was found in UTI strains. The hypermucoviscosity phenotype and rmpA gene were more often found in UTI isolates than in those from healthy adults (27.8 vs. 2.6%, P < 0.01; 29.6 vs. 11.8%, P < 0.01, respectively), whereas no significant difference in the frequency of magA, uge, wabG, or serotype genes was found. The prevalence of rmpA was significantly lower in isolates from patients with immunosuppression, chronic renal insufficiency, and urinary tract obstruction. Multivariate analysis showed that immunosuppression was negatively associated with the prevalence of rmpA.

Conclusion

Hypermucoviscosity was highly correlated with the presence of the rmpA gene in UTI strains, and rmpA may have a role in community-acquired UTI, especially in hosts without immunosuppression.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Robert M. Jonas for his helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported in part by grants NSC97-2311-B-006-004-MY3 and NSC96-2320-B-006-008 from the National Science Council and by grant NCKUH-9804021 from the National Cheng-Kung University Hospital, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    W.-H. Lin & J.-J. Wu

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan

    W.-H. Lin, M.-C. Wang, C.-C. Tseng, W.-C. Ko & A.-B. Wu

  3. Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, National Cheng-Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan

    P.-X. Zheng & J.-J. Wu

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  1. W.-H. Lin
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  3. C.-C. Tseng
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  4. W.-C. Ko
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Correspondence to J.-J. Wu.

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Lin, WH., Wang, MC., Tseng, CC. et al. Clinical and microbiological characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates causing community-acquired urinary tract infections. Infection 38, 459–464 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-010-0049-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-010-0049-5

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