Bai Xiangning, Zhang Ji, Hua Ying, Jernberg Cecilia, Xiong Yanwen, French Nigel, Löfgren Sture, Hedenström Ingela, Ambikan Anoop, Mernelius Sara, Matussek Andreas
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Front Microbiol. 2021 Feb 5;12:627861. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.627861. eCollection 2021.
Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) are important foodborne pathogens that can cause human infections ranging from asymptomatic carriage to bloody diarrhea (BD) and fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). However, the molecular mechanism of STEC pathogenesis is not entirely known. Here, we demonstrated a large scale of molecular epidemiology and in-depth genomic study of clinical STEC isolates utilizing clinical and epidemiological data collected in Region Jönköping County, Sweden, over a 15-year period. Out of 184 STEC isolates recovered from distinct patients, 55 were from patients with BD, and 129 were from individuals with non-bloody stools (NBS). Five individuals developed HUS. Adults were more associated with BD. Serotypes O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, O121:H19, and O104:H4 were more often associated with BD. The presence of Shiga toxin-encoding gene subtypes , + , and + was associated with BD, while was associated with milder disease. Multiplex virulence and accessory genes were correlated with BD; these genes encode toxins, adhesion, autotransporters, invasion, and secretion system. A number of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, such as aminoglycoside, aminocoumarin, macrolide, and fluoroquinolone resistance genes, were prevalent among clinical STEC isolates. Whole-genome phylogeny revealed that O157 and non-O157 STEC isolates evolved from distinct lineages with a few exceptions. Isolates from BD showed more tendency to cluster closely. In conclusion, this study unravels molecular trait of clinical STEC strains and identifies genetic factors associated with severe clinical outcomes, which could contribute to management of STEC infections and disease progression if confirmed by further functional validation.
产志贺毒素大肠杆菌(STEC)是重要的食源性病原体,可导致人类感染,症状从无症状携带到血性腹泻(BD)以及致命的溶血尿毒综合征(HUS)。然而,STEC发病机制的分子机制尚不完全清楚。在此,我们利用瑞典延雪平郡15年间收集的临床和流行病学数据,对临床STEC分离株进行了大规模分子流行病学和深入的基因组研究。在从不同患者中分离出的184株STEC中,55株来自BD患者,129株来自非血性粪便(NBS)个体。5人发展为HUS。成年人与BD的关联性更强。血清型O157:H7、O26:H11、O103:H2、O121:H19和O104:H4与BD的关联性更高。志贺毒素编码基因亚型 、 + 和 + 的存在与BD相关,而 与病情较轻相关。多重毒力和辅助基因与BD相关;这些基因编码毒素、黏附素、自转运蛋白、侵袭和分泌系统。一些抗菌药物耐药(AMR)基因,如氨基糖苷类、氨基香豆素类、大环内酯类和氟喹诺酮类耐药基因,在临床STEC分离株中普遍存在。全基因组系统发育分析表明,O157和非O157 STEC分离株除少数例外情况外,源自不同的谱系。来自BD患者的分离株更倾向于紧密聚类。总之,本研究揭示了临床STEC菌株的分子特征,并确定了与严重临床结局相关的遗传因素,如果通过进一步的功能验证得到证实,这可能有助于STEC感染的管理和疾病进展。