HIGH PREVALENCE OF CLASS I AND CLASS II INTEGRONS IN UROPATHOGENIC E. COLI STRAINS (UPECs) AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE, PHYLOGENY AND VIRULENCE

Abstract

Objective: Integrons, which are highly effective in capturing, integrating and expressing gene cassettes, play an important role in the dissemination of multiple antibiotic resistances. This study investigated the correlations of integrons in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) with antibiotic resistance, virulence and phylogeny and also the relationships of phylogroups with virulence and antibiotic resistance. Material and Methods: Fifty UPECs isolated from uncomplicated cystitis and uncomplicated pyelonephritis were investigated to detect the presence of class I, II and III integrons and phylogenetic grouping by the PCR method. Their statistical relationship with antibiotic resistance and virulence genes were investigated using our previous findings. Results: Among 50 UPEC strains, 37 (74%), 22 (44%) and only one (2%) strain was shown to harbor class I, class II and class III integrons, respectively. Twenty one (42%) strains were found to carry both class I and class II integrons. The majority of the strains were grouped as phylogroup B2 (38%) and phylogroup E (38%). The presence of integrons was in association with only ampicillin resistance (p=0.014). Integrons was found to be related neither to virulence genes nor phylogroups; however, the presence of PAI (p<0.001), ompT (p=0.035), and usp (p<0.001) genes was foundto be significantly related to phylogroup B2. Phylogroup E was found to be statistically significantly correlated with co-trimoxazole resistance (p=0.043). Conclusion: Consistent with previous studies, our results have proven that there is a strong association between antibiotic resistance and the presence of integrons (especially class I) in UPEC strains, and it has been shown that integrons became very prevalent globally.

Keywords

• Uropathogenic E. coli
• phylogroups
• integrons
• virulence factors
• antibiotic resistance

ÜROPATOJEN E. COLI (UPEC) SUŞLARINDA SINIF I VE SINIF II İNTEGRONLARIN YÜKSEK PREVALANSI İLE ANTİBİYOTİK DİRENCİ, FİLOGRUP VE VİRULANS İLİŞKİSİ

Abstract

Amaç: Gen kasetlerinin yakalanması, integrasyonu ve ekspresyonunda oldukça etkin olan integronlar, çoğul antibiyotik direncinin yayılımında önemli bir rol oynarlar. Bu çalışmada, üropatojen E. coli (UPEC) suşlarında integron varlığının antibiyotik direnci, virülans ve filogenetik gruplar ile ve filogrupların, virulans ve antibiyotik direnci ile ilişkisi araştırılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Komplike olmayan sistit ve komplike olmayan piyelonefrit etkeni olarak izole edilen 50 UPEC suşu sınıf I, II ve III integronların varlığı ve filogruplarının belirlenmesi amacıyla PCR yöntemi ile incelenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar istatistiki ilişki açısından daha önceki araştırmamızdan elde ettiğimiz bulgular ile incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Elli UPEC suşunun 37’sinin (%74) sınıf I integron, 22’sinin (%44) sınıf II integron ve bir suşun (%2) ise sınıf III integron taşıdığı belirlenmiştir. Yirmi bir (%42) suşun ise sınıf I ve sınıf II integronları birlikte taşıdığı gösterilmiştir. Suşların çoğu B2 (%38) ve E (%38) filogruplarında sınıflandırılmıştır. İntegronların varlığı ile sadece ampisilin direnci ilişkili bulunmuştur (p=0,014). İntegronların varlığı ile virulans genleri veya filogruplar arasında bir ilişki bulunmamıştır; ancak PAI (p<0,001), ompT (p=0,035) ve usp (p<0,001) genlerinin varlığı ile B2 filogrubu arasında anlamlı ilişkili bulunmuştur. Filogrup E ile ko-trimoksazol direnci arasında anlamlı ilişkili bulunmuştur (p=0,043). Sonuç: Bulgularımız literatürle de uyumlu olarak UPEC suşlarında antibiyotik direnci ile integronların (özellikle sınıf I) varlığı arasında güçlü bir ilişki olduğunu kanıtlamış ve tüm dünya genelinde integronların yaygın görüldüğü anlaşılmıştır.

Keywords

• Üropatojen E. coli
• filogruplar
• integronlar
• virulans faktörleri
• antibiyotik direnci

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