Localized, diffuse, and aggregative-adhering Escherichia coli from infants with acute diarrhea and matched-controls

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 87; no. 1; pp. 93 - 97
• Main Authors: Magalhães, M, Amorim, R J, Takeda, Y, Tsukamoto, T, Antas, M G, Tateno, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 01-01-1992; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: Acute Disease; adherent Escherichia coli; Bacterial Adhesion; Diarrhea, Infantile - microbiology; EPEC; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - pathogenicity; Escherichia coli - physiology; Escherichia coli Infections - complications; HeLa Cells - microbiology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; infantile diarrhea; PARASITOLOGY; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Brazil; adherent Escherichia coli; EPEC; infantile diarrhea
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060; 0074-0276; 1678-8060
• DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02761992000100015

Of 126 infants under 2 years, enrolled in a study on the etiology of acute diarrhea in Recife, Brazil, we selected 37 from whom no recognized enteropathogens, except classic enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, were identified. For comparison, we also examined 37 matched-control infants without diarrhea seen at the same hospital setting. This paper had the purpose to determine the prevalence of localized, diffuse, and aggregative-adhering E. coli strains in both groups. Three to five fecal E. coli colonies, of each case and control, were tested individually for adherence to HeLa cells by using the one step 3-h incubation assay. Strains of E. coli showing localized adherence were found significantly more often in patients (37.8%) than in controls (13.5%), p < 0.02, and they were practically confined to EPEC serovars 055:H-, 0111:H2, and 119:H6. In contrast, E. coli isolates exhibiting the diffuse or aggregative patterns of adherence were restricted to non-EPEC serogroups and were more frequently encountered among controls.