Adhesion, Hemagglutination, Hemolysin Production and Serum Resistance of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Ahn, Tai Young; Kim, Young Kyoon

Abstract

The species Escherichia coli is a large and heterogeneous group of organisms which is the most common etiologic agent of urinary tract infections. There are some evidences that certain properties are found more commonly in strains from the patients with urinary tract infections than in those from normal feces and in enteropathogenic strains. Twenty eight strains of E. coli from acute pyelonephritis patients and twenty eight strains from a cute cystitis patients were examined for the abilities of adhesion to normal uroepitheliaI cells, hemagglutination, hemolysin production and resistance to the bactericidal effect of normal rabbit serum. For comparison, 20 strains from normal feces and 20 enteropathogenic strains were tested for these properties. The results were as follows; l. The strains from the patients with urinary tract infections adhered in significantly larger numbers to the epithelial cells than those from normal feces and enteropathogenic strains (p<0.0l). 2. The strains from the patients with urinary tract infections induced hemagglutination of human erythrocytes no more frequently than those from normal feces. 3. The strains from acute pyelonephritis patients more commonly produced hemolysin than those from normal feces and enteropathogenic strains. 4. The resistance to the bactericidal effect of normal rabbit serum was higher in the strains from the patients with urinary tract infections than in those from normal feces and enteropathogenic stains. 5. There was no significant mutual relationships among the properties of uroepithelial adhesion, hemaglutination, hemolysin production and serum resistance. From the results the abilities of adhesion to human uroepitheliaI cells, hemolysin production and resistance to the bactericidal effect of normal rabbit serum are supposed to be common properties of uropathogenic Escherichia coli and essential factors in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections.