Open AccessDetection of intracellular bacterial communities in a child with Escherichia coli recurrent urinary tract infections
Author(s) -
Robino Luciana,
Scavone Paola,
Araujo Lucia,
Algorta Gabriela,
Zunino Pablo,
Vignoli Rafael
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pathogens and disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.983
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2049-632X
DOI - 10.1111/2049-632x.12047
Subject(s) - escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , fimbria , biology , virulence , intracellular , urinary system , bacteria , enterobacteriaceae , cytoplasm , gene , pilus , genetics , anatomy
The formation of intracellular bacterial communities ( IBC ) has been proposed as a new pathogenic model for urinary tract infections. Scarce reports describe this phenomenon in humans. We describe the presence of IBC in uroepithelial cells of a child with recurrent urinary infections. Urine specimen was collected from a child with Escherichia coli UTI and analyzed by light and confocal laser scanning microscopy ( CLSM ). The capability of this strain to produce intracellular infection in bladder tissue was confirmed in mice models. Escherichia coli phylogenetic group, presence of virulence factors genes, and its multiple locus sequence type were determined. CLSM showed large collections of morphologically coccoid and rod bacteria in eukaryotic cells cytoplasm, even seemingly protruding from the cells. Escherichia coli EC 7U, ST 3626, harbored type 1, P, and S/F1C fimbriae and K1 capsule genes. In this report, we confirm the presence of IBC in children with UTI , as it has been described before in women.