Colonization antigens and haemagglutination patterns of human Escherichia coli

Comparison of Hemagglutination and Hemolytic Activity of Various Bacterial Clinical Isolates Against Different Human Blood Groups

Among the various pathogenic determinants shown by microorganisms hemagglutination and hemolysin production assume greater significance in terms of laboratory identification. This study evaluated the hemagglutination and hemolytic activity of various bacterial isolates against different blood groups. One hundred and fifty bacterial strains, isolated from clinical specimens like urine, pus, blood, and other body fluids were tested for their hemagglutinating and hemolytic activity against human A, B, AB, and O group red blood cells. Among the 150 isolates 81 were Escherichia coli, 18 were Klebsiella pneumoniae, 19 were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 10 were Pseudomonas spp, six were Proteus mirabilis, and the rest 16 were Staphylococcus aureus. Nearly 85% of the isolates agglutinated A group cells followed by B and AB group (59.3% and 60.6% respectively). Least number of isolates agglutinated O group cells (38.0%). When the hemolytic activity was tested, out of these 150 isolates 79 (52.6%) hemolyzed A group cells, 61 (40.6%) hemolyzed AB group cells, 46 (30.6%) hemolyzed B group cells, and 57 (38.6%) isolates hemolyzed O group cells. Forty-six percent of the isolates exhibited both hemagglutinating and hemolytic property against A group cells, followed by B and AB group cells (28.6% and 21.3% respectively). Least number of isolates i.e., 32 (21.3%) showed both the properties against O group cells. The isolates showed wide variation in their hemagglutination and hemolytic properties against different combinations of human blood group cells. The study highlights the importance of selection of the type of cells especially when human RBCs are used for studying the hemagglutination and hemolytic activity of bacterial isolates because these two properties are considered as characteristic of pathogenic strains.

Expression of colonization factor antigen I fimbriae by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; influence of growth conditions and a recombinant positive regulatory gene

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) may spontaneously lose the positive regulatory cfaR gene and thereby the capacity to express colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I). A recombinant plasmid harbouring the cfaR gene was transformed into cfaR-negative mutant ETEC strains. CFA/I expression of wild-type and cfaR-transformed ETEC cultivated in different liquid media was quantified. At 37 degrees C, a high level of CFA/I expression from wild-type and cfaR-transformed strains was observed after growth in CFA broth. Transformation enhanced CFA/I expression only marginally. The transformant cultures showed a considerable variation in CFA/I expression which was paralleled by the proportion of individual bacteria producing CFA/I. This heterogeneity could be explained by a variable tendency to structural CFA/I gene loss among individual cfaR-transformed bacteria.

Isolation of K88 antigen variants (ab, ac, ad) from porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli belonging to different serotypes

Fimbriae isolation by means of thermal shock was applied to fifteen K88-positive (three K88ab, nine K88ac and three K88ad) Escherichia coli reference strains belonging to serotypes O8:K87, O32, O45, O138:K81, O141:K85, O147:K89, O149:K91, and O157, as well as to ten K88-positive enterotoxigenic strains isolated from porcine diarrhea in Spain, all of them belonging to the O149 serogroup. Fimbriae were removed from the bacterial cells by thermal shock at 60 C and then precipitated using ammonium sulfate. The final amount of K88 antigen and the purification degree were not related to the serogroup of the bacteria or to the antigen variant but were related to the buffer used for isolation. Phosphate buffer containing urea was shown to be more effective than Tris-HCl for isolation of K88 antigen. The molecular weights by SDS-PAGE for K88ab, K88ac, and K88ad were 28.5, 29.2, and 31.0 kDa, respectively. All enterotoxigenic E. coli strains isolated in Spain showed the K88ac variant.

Enterotoxigenic and necrotizing Escherichia coli in human diarrhoea in Spain

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains of serotype 0153: K-:H45 CFA/I+ STa+ were associated with two outbreaks of neonatal diarrhoea that occurred in two different hospitals of Madrid, in one of which several children died. Two other outbreaks were associated with ETEC strains of serotypes 0159: K-:H21 (LT+) and 0159: K-:H4 (LT+ STa+) without CFA/I and CFA/II colonization factors. Necrotizing E. coli (NTEC) strains of serotype 06:K13, producing the cytotoxic necrotizing factor CNF1 and alpha-haemolysin, were also associated with two outbreaks of neonatal diarrhoea that occurred in a hospital in Madrid and in a hospital in Talavera de la Reina. The results of the characterization of some ETEC and NTEC strains isolated from sporadic cases of diarrhoea are also discussed.

Prevalence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains in outbreaks and sporadic cases of diarrhoea in Spain

Escherichia coli strains isolated 1985-1988 in Spain from patients with diarrhoea were examined; 1170 strains were isolated from 582 sporadic cases of diarrhoea in children, and seven strains were associated with seven outbreaks of diarrhoea. Strains positive for STa enterotoxin production in the infant mouse test were also assayed for production of LT enterotoxin on Vero cells and by a coagglutination test. Thirty-one strains were STa positive: 28 were isolated from 16 (2.7%) sporadic cases of diarrhoea and three were responsible for outbreaks. The majority of STa+LT- strains from both outbreaks and sporadic cases were serotype O153:H45 and expressed the CFA/I colonization factor antigen. Enterotoxigenic STa+LT- strains of serotype O27:H7 and STa+LT+ CFA/II+ strains of serotype O6:K15:H16 were also isolated frequently from sporadic cases.

Relative cell surface hydrophobicity of Escherichia coli strains with various recognized fimbrial antigens and without recognized fimbriae

Bacterial surface hydrophobicity as well as mannose-sensitive haemagglutinating (MSHA) and mannose-resistant haemagglutinating (MRHA) activities were studied in Escherichia coli strains with and without recognized fimbrial antigens grown under different conditions. Relative bacterial surface hydrophobicity was measured by the salt aggregation test. Four kinds of bacterial aggregations depending on fimbrial antigens were observed: bacteria with CFA/I, CFA/II, CFA/III and K88 aggregated in a particulated form, bacteria with type 1 pilus in a granular form, and bacteria with K99 in a tiny granular form. Some strains, mainly when grown under non-optimal conditions at 18 degrees C or when heated at 80 degrees C, aggregated in a non-typical filamentous form. Among MRHA- MSHA+ (type 1 pilus positive), two classes of bacteria were detected: hydrophobic bacteria aggregating in 0.2-0.4 M ammonium sulphate, and non-hydrophobic bacteria aggregating in 2.0 to 1.6 M ammonium sulphate. The hydrophobicity levels in strains possessing different recognized fimbrial antigens, when grown under optimal conditions to express fimbriae and their typical haemagglutination pattern, were of a decreasing order, viz. CFA/III = CFA/I greater than CFA/II greater than MRHA-MSHA+ hydrophobic = MRHA+ greater than P987 greater than K99-F41 = K88 greater than MRHA- MSHA+ non-hydrophobic greater than MRHA- MSHA- without recognized fimbriae.

Toxins and serotypes of faecal non-enterotoxigenic and non-enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains causing mannose-resistant haemagglutination: relation with haemagglutination patterns

Forty-three faecal non-enterotoxigenic and non-enteropathogenic human Escherichia coli strains causing mannose-resistant haemagglutination (MRHA) were tested for production of cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF), haemolysis (Hly), Verotoxin (VT) and lethal activity for mice. The serotypes of the strains were also determined. Of the total strains investigated, 49% synthesized CNF, 53% were haemolytic and 40% were lethal for mice. No strain producing VT was detected. Striking differences in the production of Hly and CNF were observed when MRHA strains were grouped according to their lethal or non-lethal activity. Thus, 82% of lethal strains produced Hly and/or CNF whereas only 35% (p less than 0.01) and 27% (p less than 0.01) of non-lethal strains produced Hly and CNF, respectively. The production of toxins was specially associated with strains possessing defined MRHA types. Thus, 100%, 82% and 50% of strains belonging to MRHA types III, IVa and V, respectively, were toxigenic, whereas no toxigenic strains from MRHA types IVb and VI were detected. The majority (77%) of MRHA strains possessed typical O groups usually reported to be present in pathogenic extraintestinal E. coli or in facultatively enteropathogenic E. coli. Furthermore, these O groups were more frequently detected in toxigenic (93%) than in non-toxigenic (47%) strains (p less than 0.01). Our results suggest that faecal non-enterotoxigenic E. coli strains belonging to MRHA types III, IVa and V may be responsible for extraintestinal infections as well as for sporadic intestinal infections, and that certain O groups are specially associated with E. coli strains belonging to particular MRHA types.

Serological response to type 1-like somatic fimbriae in diarrheal infection due to classical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Fimbriae from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strain E2349/69 (0127:H6) and its plasmid-minus derivative, MAR20, were purified and characterized as type 1-like by their physicochemical and hemagglutination patterns. Sera from adult volunteers challenged with the diarrheagenic parent strain and the attenuated plasmid-minus derivative were examined to detect an immune response, using the purified fimbriae as antigens in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot assay. An anti-fimbrial response was evident in sera of 7 of 10 volunteers fed the diarrheagenic parent strain E2348 but also in 8 of 9 individuals fed the attenuated, plasmid-cured, derivative MAR20. The antibody response appeared specific in that the sera failed to react in an ELISA and by immunoblot assay with type 1 fimbriae from other E. coli. These findings suggest that the type 1 fimbriae of this representative EPEC strain are antigenically distinct. The results of this investigation provide the first evidence of seroconversion to type 1-like fimbriae in infections caused by diarrheagenic E. coli.

Colonization antigens, antibiotic resistance and plasmid content of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from piglets with diarrhoea in Galicia (north-western Spain)

Escherichia coli colonies isolated from 50 diarrhoeic and 29 healthy piglets were investigated for several properties related to pathogenicity, such as production of heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (STa) enterotoxins, presence of K88 and K99 colonization antigens, mannose-resistant haemagglutinating activity (MRHA), beta-haemolysis and antibiotic resistance. The objective was to establish the toxic and adhesive abilities of E. coli strains that cause porcine diarrhoea in Galician farms. Fifty-seven colonies from 14 diarrhoeic piglets formed STa, while no STa+ colony was detected from healthy piglets. Thirty-four of the 57 STa+ colonies were resistant to gentamicin. Sixteen representative STa+ strains isolated from the 14 infected piglets were serotyped, investigated for plasmid content and examined by electron microscopy. Of these STa+ strains, 15 belonged to serotype 0141:K85ab and carried on their surface the fimbrial antigen P987. The remaining representative STa+ strain belonged to serotype 0101:K30 and was K99+, being the only STa+ strain with MRHA activity. All 15 STa+ P987+ strains possessed a similar plasmid pattern, with three plasmids ranging in molecular weight from 33 X 10(6) to 74 X 10(6); nine of the gentamicin-resistant strains possessed an additional plasmid of molecular weight 16 X 10(6), which was absent in the six gentamicin-sensitive strains. Strains producing LT or K88 antigen were not detected. Forty-one MRHA+ colonies were isolated at similar rates from both diarrhoeic and healthy piglets. Twelve of the 19 non-enterotoxigenic MRHA+ strains of which the O-group was established, belonged to serogroups (01, 02, 07, 08, 09 and 075) typical of the human E. coli strains that cause extraintestinal infections. Finally, a statistically significant association between haemolytic and MRHA activities in porcine E. coli was found. In conclusion, it was found that STa+ E. coli strains belonging to serotype 0141:K85ab:P987 are associated with porcine diarrhoea in Galicia. Additionally, no correlation between the isolation of non-ETEC MRHA+ strains and diarrhoea was observed.