Investigating the Presence and Expression of stx1 Gene in Escherichia coli Isolated From Women With Urinary Tract Infection Using Real-Time PCR in Tabriz, Iran

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common diseases in all the age categories around the world. Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the presence and expression of the stx1 gene in Escherichia coli isolated from women with UTI in Tabriz. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 25 E. coli isolates were assessed for the presence of the stx1 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method after DNA extraction. Then, they were evaluated in terms of stx1 gene expression by the real-time PCR. Results: Six (24%) out of 25 tested E. coli isolates harbored stx1 gene. In addition, 2 samples out of these 6 isolates containing the stx1 gene showed more gene expression compared to the control samples. Conclusion: Based on the prevalence of UTI with E. coli among the community and diffusion of its pathogenesis factors, fast and accurate identification of E. coli and its resistance factors is necessary for curring this infection.