The Correlation between Adhesion Genes and Biofilm Formation among Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates

Background: The adhesion genes are responsible for biofilm production which leads to chronic diseases like urinary tract infections (UTIs). Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most predominant pathogen involved in UTIs. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between adhesion genes and bacterial biofilm that form by UPEC. Methods: Fifty clinical isolates of E. coli from patients infected with UTIs were identified and antimicrobial resistance was tested by MIC assay. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a quick and sensitive assay to identify the adhesions operon (Afa, papG, flu, and fimH), was developed using eight primers and used for amplification. E. coli K-12 strain and E. coli J96 were used as a negative and a positive control for detection of adhesion genes. Results: The study reported 70% of isolates produce strong biofilm. Adhesion genes showed as follow Afa (64% n = 33), papG (42% n = 23), flu (94% n = 52), fimH (86% n = 45). Conclusions: The resistance to non -Beta lactam antibiotic was significantly correlated with the availability of genes that encode for adhesion. These genes were highly correlated to biofilm formation in E. coli clinical isolates. (Clin. Lab. 2024;70:273-278. DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2023.230525)