[Colonization factors in Escherichia isolated from children with acute intestinal diseases]

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a significant cause of diarrheal disease in children.
• Colonization factors (CFs) like CFAI and CFAII are crucial virulence factors for ETEC adherence to the intestinal epithelium.
• Understanding the prevalence of these factors in pediatric populations is essential for disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the occurrence of colonization factors CFAI and CFAII in E. coli strains from children with acute intestinal diseases.
• To compare the prevalence of CFAI/CFAII in E. coli from sick versus healthy children.
• To investigate potential correlations between colonization factors, enterotoxin production, and O-antigens.

Main Methods:

• Slide hemagglutination test using human group B red blood cells for CFAI and bovine red blood cells with D-mannose for CFAII.
• Isolation and characterization of E. coli strains from fecal samples of children (147 with acute intestinal disease, 59 healthy).
• Analysis of E. coli strains for the presence of CFAI and CFAII colonization factors.

Main Results:

• Colonization factors CFAI/CFAII were detected in 25.85% (38/147) of E. coli strains from sick children.
• A lower prevalence of 6.77% (4/59) was observed in E. coli strains from healthy children.
• No significant correlation was found between the presence of adhesive properties (CFAI/CFAII) and the production of enterotoxin or O-antigen.

Conclusions:

• Colonization factors CFAI and CFAII are more prevalent in E. coli strains isolated from children with acute intestinal diseases compared to healthy children.
• The presence of CFAI/CFAII in E. coli may contribute to the pathogenesis of intestinal diseases in pediatric populations.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the specific roles of O-antigens and enterotoxins in E. coli-associated pediatric intestinal infections.