Detection of cytotoxic necrotizing factor types 1 and 2 among fecal Escherichia coli isolates from brazilian children with and without diarrhea

• Main Authors: Ana Terezinha Tavechio, Lilian Regina M Marques, Cecília Mari Abe, Tânia AT Gomes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2004-02-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: Escherichia coli; cytotoxins; cytotoxic necrotizing factor; adhesins
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762004000100014

The enteropathogenic role of cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF)-producing Escherichia coli was investigated by searching cnf genes among 2074 isolates from 200 children with and 200 without acute diarrhea in Brazil. Fourteen (7%) cases versus 10 (5%) control children carried at least one cnf positive isolate (P = 0.50) and most isolates expressed CNF type 1. DNA sequences of virulence factors of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) were detected in 78.6% of CNF1-producing isolates. Besides not being associated with human acute diarrhea, the CNF1-producing isolates here identified may represent potential ExPEC transitorily composing the normal intestinal flora.