Molecular-genetic characteristics of strain Escherichia coli serogroup O26 causing diarrheal diseases in children

Abstract

Aim. To determine the serotype and virulence factors of the E. coli serogroup O26 isolated from children with diarrheal syndrome. Materials and methods. Fifty-three strains of E. coli O26 isolated in 2014-2016 from the stool of children with clinical manifestations of acute intestinal infection in Saint Petersburg were studied. Phenotypic (enzymatic and antigenic properties), molecular genetic [detection of virulence genes of enteropathogenic (EPEC - eae, bfp, hlyA), and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC - eae, stx1, stx2, ehxA), genes encoding O- and H-antigens (rfb and fliC), genes, defining phylogenetic group (chuA, yjaA и TspE)] methods were used. The phylogenetic group and the production Shiga toxins were determined. Results. All strains were identical to the antigen characteristics of serotype O26:H11 and phylogenetic group B1. Two pathogroups were created based on the set of virulence genes: a-EPEC (64.2%) and EHEC (35.8%). Strains EHEC produced Shiga-toxin 1, encoding gen stx1. No differences in enzymatic activities were found between the strains of E. coli О26:H11 for EPEC and EHEC strains. Conclusion. In the population of E. coli O26:H11, which caused acute intestinal infection in children in Saint Petersburg, more than 30% of the strains belonged to the highly virulent group EHEC. Molecular-genetic methods should be used for reliable detection of pathogens.

Keywords

virulence factors / EPEC / EHEC

References

[1] Кафтырева Л.А., Егорова С.А., Макарова М.А., и др. Характеристика биологических свойств E. coli О104:Н4 - возбудителя крупной пищевой вспышки, возникшей в Германии в мае 2011 г. // Клиническая лабораторная диагностика. - 2012. - № 1. - С. 44-47. [Kaftyreva LA, Egorova SA, Makarova MA, et al. The characteristics of biological properties of E. coli O104:H4 - the causative agent of large-scale alimentary ictus in Germany May 2001. Klin Lab Diagn. 2012;(1):44-47. (In Russ.)]

[2] Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Росстат). Здравоохранение в России - 2017. Статистический сборник. - М., 2017. [Federal’naya sluzhba gosudarstvennoy statistiki (Rosstat). Zdravookhranenie v Rossii - 2017. Statisticheskiy sbornik. Moscow; 2017. (In Russ.)]

[3] Bell BP, Griffin PM, Lozano P, et al. Predictors of hemolytic uremic syndrome in children during a large outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. Pediatrics. 1997;100(1):E12. doi: 10.1542/peds.100.1.e12.

[4] Bielaszewska M, Zhang W, Tarr PI, et al. Molecular profiling and phenotype analysis of Escherichia coli O26:H11 and O26:NM: secular and geographic consistency of enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic isolates. J Clin Microbiol. 2005;43(8):4225-4228. doi: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.4225-4228.2005.

[5] Онищенко Г.Г., Дятлов И.А, Светоч Э.А., и др. Молекулярно-генетическая характеристика шига-токсинпродуцирующих Escherichia coli, выделенных при вспышке пищевой инфекции в Санкт-Петербурге в 2013 году // Вестник Российской академии медицинских наук. - 2015. - Т. 70. - № 1. - С. 70-81. [Onishchenko GG, Dyatlov IA, Svetoch EA, et al. Molecular-genetic Characterization of Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia сoli Isolated During a Food-Borne Outbreak in Saint Petersburg in 2013. Annals of the Russian academy of medical sciences. 2015;70(1):70-81. (In Russ.)]. doi: 10.15690/vramn.v70i1.1234.

[6] Bielaszewska M, Mellmann A, Bletz S, et al. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26:H11/H-: a new virulent clone emerges in Europe. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;56(10):1373-1381. doi: 10.1093/cid/cit055.

[7] Misselwitz J, Karch H, Bielazewska M, et al. Cluster of hemolytic-uremic syndrome caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2003;22(4):349-354. doi: 10.1097/01.inf.0000059338.38673.ae.

[8] Nataro JP, Kaper JB. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1998;11(1):142-201. doi: 10.1128/CMR.11.1.142.

[9] Kruger A, Lucchesi PM, Sanso AM, et al. Genetic characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 strains isolated from animal, food, and clinical samples. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2015;5:74. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2015.00074.

[10] Vygen-Bonnet S, Rosner B, Wilking H, et al. Ongoing haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) outbreak caused by sorbitol-fermenting (SF) Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, Germany, December 2016 to May 2017. Euro Surveill. 2017;22(21). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.21.30541.

[11] Bonardi S, Alpigiani I, Tozzoli R, et al. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157, O26 and O111 in cattle faeces and hides in Italy. Vet Rec Open. 2015;2(1):e000061. doi: 10.1136/vetreco-2014-000061.

[12] Brooks JT, Sowers EG, Wells JG, et al. Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infections in the United States, 1983-2002. J Infect Dis. 2005;192(8):1422-1429. doi: 10.1086/466536.

[13] Durso LM, Bono JL, Keen JE. Molecular serotyping of Escherichia coli O26:H11. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005;71(8):4941-4944. doi: 10.1128/AEM.71.8.4941-4944.2005.

[14] Guion CE, Ochoa TJ, Walker CM, et al. Detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli by use of melting-curve analysis and real-time multiplex PCR. J Clin Microbiol. 2008;46(5):1752-1757. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02341-07.

[15] Tobias J, Vutukuru SR. Simple and rapid multiplex PCR for identification of the main human diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Microbiol Res. 2012;167(9):564-570. doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2011.11.006.

[16] El-Rami FE, Rahal E, Sleiman FT, Abdelnoor AM. Identification of virulence genes among antibacterial-resistant Escherichia coli. Adv Stud Biol. 2012;4(8):385-396.

[17] Slanec T, Fruth A, Creuzburg K, Schmidt H. Molecular analysis of virulence profiles and Shiga toxin genes in food-borne Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009;75(19):6187-6197. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00874-09.

[18] Clermont O, Bonacorsi S, Bingen E. Rapid and simple determination of the Escherichia coli phylogenetic group. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2000;66(10):4555-4558. doi: 10.1128/AEM.66.10.4555-4558.2000.

[19] Afset JE, Bergh K, Bevanger L. High prevalence of atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in Norwegian children with diarrhoea. J Med Microbiol. 2003;52(Pt 11):1015-1019. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.05287-0.

[20] Соколова Е.Д., Галтаева А.М., Замурин О.Ю., и др. Полимеразно-цепная реакция в диагностике острых кишечных инфекций в детском инфекционном стационаре: возможности и проблемы // Инфекция и иммунитет. - 2016. - Т. 6. - № 3. - С. 225-231. [Sokolova ED, Galtaeva AM, Zamurin OY, et al. Acute enteric infections polymerase chain reaction assay in pediatric practice: opportunities and challenges. Russian journal of infection and immunity. 2016;6(3):225-231. (In Russ.)]. doi: 10.15789/2220-7619-2016-3-225-231.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Makarova M.A., Dmitriev A.V., Matveeva Z.N., Kaftyreva K.A.