Masoud Rahdar
Ahmad Rashki
Hamidreza Miri

Background: Escherichia coli is one of the most causative pathogen of urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common cause of morbidity and remain a serious health concern among the clinicians. The severity of UTI caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is due to the expression of a wide spectrum of virulent factors such as adhesin coding operons. Little is known about the relationship between the E. coli genetic background and the acquisition of adhesin coding operons in UPEC isolates. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of adhesin coding operons in UPEC isolates belonged to phylogenetic group B۲ and A collected from patients suffering from UTI. Materials and Methods: A total ۱۰۰ UPEC isolates were used for DNA extraction by the boiling lysis. The analysis of phylogenetic groups, along with detection of adhesin coding operons was performed by Multiplex-PCR method. Associations were assessed between afa, fim, foc, pap and sfa operons among to ۵۵ B۲ and ۱۷ A groups E. coli isolates. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test. Results: Phylogenetic analysis showed that ۵۵ and ۱۷ of ۱۰۰ UPEC isolates belonged to the B۲ and A phylogenetic groups, respectively. The afa, fim, foc, pap and sfa operons were present in five (۹.۰۹%), ۵۵ (۱۰۰%), ۱۶ (۲۹.۰۹%), ۴۶ (۸۳.۶۳%) and ۴۶ (۸۳.۶۳%) of UPEC isolates belonged to phylogenetic group B۲, and two (۱۲.۵۰%), ۱۴ (۸۷.۵۰%), one (۶.۲۵%), two (۱۲.۵%) and ۱۲ (۷۵%) of isolates belonged to phylogenetic group A, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that pap gene was significantly more frequently detected in phylogenetic group B۲ (P < ۰.۰۵). Conclusions: The UPEC isolates belonging to group B۲ harbored a greater number of adhesin coding operons than strains from phylogenetic groups A.