Escherichia coli is the common causative agent of urinary tract infections. Sixty-one strains of E. coli isolated from children with urinary tract infections were tested by colony hybridization for the presence of genes determining P and S fimbriae and hemolysin. Of these strains, 46 possess a gene for hemolysin, 44 for P fimbriae and 28 for S fimbriae. Only 30 strains formed lytic zones around the colonies on plates with sheep erythrocytes. The results indicated that simultaneous occurrence of genes in urinary E. coli was highest for P fimbriae and hemolysin and lower for other combinations of the tested genes.

• MeSH
• Fimbriae, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• Genes, Bacterial * MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins genetics   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• DNA Probes MeSH
• Escherichia coli genetics   isolation & purification   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Hemolysin Proteins genetics   MeSH
• Nucleic Acid Hybridization MeSH
• Urinary Tract Infections microbiology   MeSH
• Escherichia coli Infections microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Escherichia coli Proteins * MeSH
• Virulence genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Bacterial Proteins MeSH
• DNA Probes MeSH
• Hemolysin Proteins MeSH
• Hlya protein, E coli MeSH Browser
• Escherichia coli Proteins * MeSH

Escherichia coli was isolated from the urine of patients with pyelonephritis, with urinary tract infections other than pyelonephritis and with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Surface properties of the strains were analyzed by the salting-out aggregation test (SAT), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), Congo red binding (Crb), agglutination of erythrocytes (MRHA) and latex particles covered by digalactoside (PF) and by adherence to tissue culture cells. In addition, a DNA probe for the pap gene was used. The DNA probe detected the highest proportion of strains with pap gene in the group of patients with pyelonephritis, lower in the urinary tract infections other than pyelonephritis and the lowest in the group with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Tests for P-fimbriae (PF, MRHA) showed a similar distribution. Hydrophobicity measured by SAT and by HIC did not show differences among the tested groups of strains. The results suggest that factors other than the P-fimbriae and hydrophobicity may contribute to the persistence of E. coli in the urinary tract.

• MeSH
• Bacterial Adhesion genetics   physiology   MeSH
• Fimbriae, Bacterial physiology   MeSH
• Genes, Bacterial MeSH
• Bacteriuria etiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Disaccharides chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• DNA Probes MeSH
• Escherichia coli genetics   pathogenicity   physiology   MeSH
• Hemagglutination MeSH
• Urinary Tract Infections etiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Escherichia coli Infections etiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Latex Fixation Tests MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• Pyelonephritis etiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Receptors, Cell Surface metabolism   MeSH
• Carbohydrate Sequence MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• 4-O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-D-galactose MeSH Browser
• Disaccharides MeSH
• DNA Probes MeSH
• galactose receptor MeSH Browser
• Receptors, Cell Surface MeSH