Molecular Detection of Type 1 Fimbriae-Encoding Gene (fimH) in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Outpatients with Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections in all age groups. The majority of these infections are caused by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains. Colonization, attachment to uroepithelium, and the ability of UPEC to cause symptomatic UTI is mediated by adherence factors, such as type 1 fimbriae (fimH).
The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of type 1 fimbriae-encoding gene (fimH) among uropathogenic E. coli isolates from outpatients with UTI in Khorramabad.
This laboratory study carried out on 100 uropathogenic E. coli collected in the years 2012 and 2013 from outpatients with UTI in Khorramabad. All bacterial isolates were identified by standard laboratory methods and the fimH gene presence was detected using the PCR method.
The fimH gene was amplified using specific primers and showed a band about 508 bp. The FimH gene was found in 26 isolates (26%) of the UPEC strains.
Although results of this study showed the presence of type 1 fimbriae-encoding gene (fimH) among uropathogenic E. coli isolates from outpatients with UTI, the high prevalence of isolates that do not encode fimH (74%) require further investigation to clarify the role of the other potential virulence factors in the pathogenesis of these isolates.