DETECTION OF VIRULENCE GENES IN UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLI BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION (PCR) - COMPARISON WITH RESULTS OBTAINED USING PHENOTYPIC METHODS

102 Escherichia coli strains from patients with community-acquired uri nary tract infections (UTIs) were genotypically and phenotipically cha racterized. The strains were examined genotypically by using the polym erase chain reaction (PCR) for presence of five urovirulence operons: alpha-haemolysin (hly), cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1 (cnfl), py elonephritis-associated pili (pap), S. fimbriae (sfa) and afimbrial ad hesin (afa). The phenotypic methods used were: Vero and HeLa cells for detection of CNF1, blood agar for Hly and mannose-resistant haemagglu tination typing for expression of adhesins. There was a very good corr elation between the results obtained by PCR and those obtained by phen otypic methods. Thus, the PCR assays can by recommended for clinical u se to detect uropathogenic E. coli strains, as well as for epidemiolog ical studies. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.