An adhesive factor found in strains of Escherichia coli belonging to the traditional infantile enteropathogenic serotypes

Abstract

Escherichia coli strains isolated from outbreaks of diarrheal disease were tested for the presence of adhesive factors. Fifty-one of these strains belonged to traditional infantile entero-pathogenic serotypes (EPEC) and 17 belonged to other serotypes. None of these strains were enterotoxigenic and none possessed colonization factors CFA/I or CFA/II, which have been described among strains of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Enterotoxigenic E. coli strains from patients with diarrhea and strains which were neither EPEC nor ETEC from subjects without diarrhea were also examined. By means of a tissue culture technique using HEp-2 cells, a new adhesive factor was found to occur with greater frequency in EPEC strains. The adhesive factor was found less frequently in the other groups of E. coli studied. It was distinct from type 1 pili and was not inhibited by the presence of D-mannose. © 1979 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.