Genetic background of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from Slovenia in relation to fluoroquinolone and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim resistance

Abstract

A total of 99 E. coli urinary tract isolates were investigated for phylogenetic groups and 21 virulence related genes in relation to fluoroquinolone and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim resistance. We found that the B2 group was by far the most prevalent among susceptible isolates, while resistant isolates were more evenly distributed among groups A, B2 and D. Isolates from the B2 group exhibited the highest prevalence of virulence factors. Virulence genes hlyA, iroN and kpsMTII were statistically associated with fluoroquinolone susceptible isolates and picU with sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim susceptible isolates. Fluoroquinolone susceptibleisolates of the phylogenetic group A were significantly associated with genes papGII, kpsMTII and iss and the susceptible group B2 isolates with genes hra in iroN. Among isolates susceptible to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim the presence of the hra genewas statistically significantly associated with phylogenetic group B2, while among resistant isolates, papGII was associated with phylogenetic group D.