Antibiotic resistance profile in relation to virulence genes fimH, hlyA and usp of uropathogenic E. coli isolates in Lahore, Pakistan

Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is the major etiological agent of urinary tract infections. The objectives of this study were to evaluate E. coli isolates from these patients for the phenotypic pattern of antibiotic resistance and to detect the genes responsible for virulence namely fimH, hlyA and usp. A total of 110 E. coli isolates were studied and 30 antibiotics were applied for susceptibility testing. PCR detection of the genes fimH, hlyA and usp was done followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that the isolates were highly resistant to cephalaxin (100%) and cephradine (100%) but displayed high sensitivity to amikacin (96.27%), Imipenem (92.63%) and Meropenem (92.63%). The prevalence of fimH, hlyA and usp was 86%, 83% and 16%, respectively. The sequencing showed 99% similarity with previously reported sequences in NCBI GenBank database. The co-existence of multiple drug-resistant bodies and virulent genes has important implications for the treatment of patients with urinary tract infection. This study provides information about treating drug-resistant E. coli and the relationship of virulent genes with phenotypic resistance patterns.