Phylogenetic background of enterotoxigenic and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli from patients with diarrhea in Sirjan, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains are a major cause of intestinal syndromes in the developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) in relation to phylogenetic background from patients with diarrhea. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 110 E. coli isolates were obtained from diarrhea patients in Sirjan, southeast of Iran. The E. coli isolates were confirmed using biochemical and bacteriological tests. DNA of E. coli isolates was extracted by boiling method and checked for existence of ETEC (LT and ST genes) and EIEC (ipaH gene) pathotypes and also characterize the phylogenetic groups on the basis of presence or absence of the chuA, yjaA genes and an anonymous DNA fragment, TspE4. C2 by multiplex PCR. RESULTS Out of 110 E. coli isolates, 32 (29.09%) were positive for ETEC (LT and ST genes) and 6 (5.45%) possessed EIEC (ipaH gene) pathotypes. Isolates fall into four phylogenetic groups: A (39.09%), B1 (20%), B2 (15.45%) and D (25.45%). Phylotyping of isolates of DEC indicated they were distributed in four phylogenetic groups including A (12 isolates), B1 (7), B2 (9) and D (10). CONCLUSION In this study, the DEC isolates were segregated into different phylogenetic groups. The majority of isolates belonged to phylo-groups A and D.