[Alpha-hemolytic strains of Escherichia coli isolated in urinary tract infections in small children].

The authors focused attention on testing of biological properties of alpha-haemolytic strains of E. coli in infections of the urinary pathways in children and on the antibody response against alpha-haemolysin. The strains belonged into serogroups 02, 04, 06, 018, 075, 0112. The majority of strains had fimrial adhesins, i.e. P fimbriae, or fimbriae type 1. Alpha-haemolysin one of the factors of UPEC virulence induces anti-alphahaemolysin formation in serum (ANTI AH). Titres of ANTI AH in sera of children with acute uroinfection were from 1:32 to 1:1024. Lower titres were recorded in infections of the lower urinary pathways higher ones in renal infections, whereby the dynamics of ANTI AH titres depend on the development of the disease.