Detection by molecular hybridization of pap, afa, and sfa adherence systems in Escherichia coli strains associated with urinary and enteral infections.

The genetic determinants responsible for the adherence of Escherichia coli to uroepithelial cells have been identified in recent years by genetic and molecular methods. Specific DNA probes for each of the three operons which have been cloned so far (pap, afa, sfa/foc operons) have been used in colony hybridization experiments to detect the presence of each of these operons in the chromosomal DNA of 443 strains of E. coli; 186 strains were from patients with urinary tract infections (pyelonephritis, 106 strains; cystitis, 59; asymptomatic bacteriuria, 21) and 257 were strains from the stools of healthy subjects (61) or from patients with various enteral infections (196). E. coli strains harbouring the pap operon were found more frequently in the urine of patients with pyelonephritis (p less than 0.001) and cystitis (p less than 0.01) than in control stools. The presence of two operons (pap + afa) or (pap + sfa/foc) was only observed in uropathogenic strains (p less than 0.02). Pap and sfa/foc operons were never found in strains causing enteral infection; however, the afa operon was found in 7.6% of the enteropathogenic E. coli.