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ARTICLE
Evaluation of a multiplex PCR method to detect enteroaggregative Escherichia coli
M.E. RÜTTLER, C.S. YANZÓN, M.J. CUITIÑO, N.F. RENNA, M.A. PIZARRO, A.M. ORTIZ.
Área de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Mendoza, Argentina.
Address correspondence to: Dra. María Elena Rüttler. Área de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Casilla de Correo 33, (5500) Mendoza, ARGENTINA. E-mail: mruttler@fcm.uncu.edu.ar
BIOCELL 2006, 30(2), 301-308. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2006.30.301
Abstract
Enteroaggregative
Escherichia coli (EAEC) has been implicated in sporadic diarrhea in children and adults and has been identified as the cause of several outbreaks worldwide. The HEp-2 test remains the gold standard for identification of this pathotype. A 60-65 MDa plasmid encodes the aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF/I and AAF/II), a transcriptional activator (
aggR gene), the enteroaggregative heat-stable enterotoxin EAST1 (
astA gene) and a cytotoxin (Pet). The standard assay for EAEC is performed only in research laboratories, because it is expensive, labor intensive and time-consuming. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) offers the possibility of rapid diagnosis. In the current study, a multiplex PCR assay which checks
aggR and
astA genes was designed. Eigthy- eight
E.coli strains, isolated from children with acute diarrhea in Mendoza, Argentina, were characterized by the reference method (HEp-2 assay), and by
aggRastA PCR. A strong correlation between the presence of the specific marker
aggR and the reference test was found. The
astA gene had a similar distribution between aggregative and localized strains, indicating that this gene could not be considered as a marker of EAEC. We conclude that
aggR may be used to identify EAEC, using the PCR method as a screening test.
Keywords
Cite This Article
RÜTTLER,, M. (2006). Evaluation of a multiplex PCR method to detect enteroaggregative
Escherichia coli.
BIOCELL, 30(2), 301–308.
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