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Pathogenicity characteristics of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains

Sergio de Mendonça^I; Cristiana Simão Seixas^II; Paulo Afonso Nogueira^III; Fabiana Fantinatti^I; Ulisses Moraes de Oliveira^IV; Wanderley Dias da Silveira^II

^IDepartamento de Genética e Evolução, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), 13081-970 Campinas, SP, Brasil
^IIDepartamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, IB, UNICAMP, 13081-970 Campinas, SP, Brasil. Send correspondence to W.D.S.
^IIIDepartamento de Bioquímica, IB, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brasil
^IVDepartamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Seventeen wild-type uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) and one pyelonephritis strain were studied for pathogenicity traits. Their plasmid, outer membrane protein, surface protein and RAPD DNA profiles, hemolysin and colicin production, type of fimbriae expressed and capacity of adhesion to uroepithelial cells were determined in an attempt to correlate these characteristics with pathogenicity. The only characteristic that had a consistent pattern in these types of E. coli was adhesion to uroepithelial cells.

Keywords: pathogenicity; uropathogenic; Escherichia coli.

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