Detection and Characterization of fimH gene in Escherichia coli Isolated from Urine Samples of Diabetic Adult females with Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

  Ninety Five Escherichia coli isolates have been obtained from urine samples of unmarried diabetic adult females suffering from UTI of age ranging from (18-35) years were admitted to different hospitals and primary health centers during the interval between June to November 2020 in in Babylon Governorate, Iraq. All of these (95) urine samples were undergone bacterial culturing, biochemical tests, and then multiplex PCR assay for investigating the presence of the fimH gene in of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolates. It was found that 87 (91.6 %) among (95) isolates of the UPEC strains were contain the fimH gene. Thus, it was highly prevalent among diabetic adult females with UTIs. On the other hand, all the (95) isolates of E. coli strains were undergone to Haemagglutination Assay for determining their ability to possess virulence factor (Type 1 fimbriae). The results revealed that all the (87) isolates which contain the fimH gene were able to possess type 1 fimbriae. Some antibiotics, including (Ciprofloxacin, Ampicillin, Trimethoprim and  Ceftazidime)  have been used to study their effects on Type 1 fimbriae, and it has been discovered that these antibiotics at the subinhibitory concentrations do not kill bacteria, but fully inhibit Type 1 fimbriae.