[Comparison of the properties of the morphological variants of E. coli strains].

The aim of this study was comparison of the antimicrobial sensitive, adhesive properties and genetic relatedness of the morphological variants of E. coli strains. This study included 10 of E. coli strains isolated in the Clinical Microbiology Department of dr. A. Jurasz University Hospital nr 1 in 2003-2006, which have grown in two morphological variants--light and dark variant. Ninety percent of morphological variants of E. coli strains differed among themselves in antibiotic sensitivity. Forty percent of morphological variants differed among themselves in adhesion to catheters. The light-colony variants more often adhered to all used catheters. The PFGE analysis of chromosomal DNA showed that 35,0% of morphological variants (two pairs and one triple) had 100,0% relatedness, and the rest of them were closely related.