Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

Title abbreviation: Adv Clin Exp Med
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ISSN 1899–5276 (print)
ISSN 2451-2680 (online)
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Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

2009, vol. 18, nr 3, May-June, p. 283–290

Publication type: original article

Language: English

Presence of Enterotoxin Genes in Klebsiella Strains Isolated from Children with Diarrhea

Obecność genów kodujących enterotoksyny u szczepów Klebsiella izolowanych od dzieci z przypadkami biegunki

Adriana Janczura1,, Beata Mączyńska1,, Urszula Kasprzykowska1,, Danuta Smutnicka1,, Anna Przondo−Mordarska1,, Adam Junka1,, Grażyna Mokracka−Latajka1,

1 Department of Microbiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

Abstract

Background. Klebsiella infections pose a significant problem in pediatric wards, where they can cause various nosocomial infections such as serious diarrhea in children and infants. Because the microbes can also constitute normal intestinal flora, the key factor in considering them an etiological factor in diarrhea is determination of the presence of heat−stabile and heat−labile enterotoxins.
Objectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic basis of of enterotoxin expression (STa, STb, and LT) in selected Klebsiella strains isolated from diarrhea cases in children hospitalized in various clinical centers in Poland and to determine the frequencies of these genes.
Material and Methods. The study included 61 clinical Klebsiella strains isolated from feces samples taken from children with diarrhea symptoms. Genes encoding ST and LT enterotoxins were detected using the PCR method and strains isolated from blood and the respiratory tract served as a second control group.
Results. Enterotoxin−encoding genes (sta, stb, lth) were detected in the plasmid DNA of 85% of the Klebsiella strains isolated from the diarrhea cases. Direct correlation was found between the frequencies of the individual genes and the clinical center at which the given strain was isolated.
Conclusion. Detection of enterotoxin−encoding genes in Klebsiella using PCR is useful in the routine diagnosis of Klebsiella−related diarrhea.

Streszczenie

Wprowadzenie. Zakażenia szczepami Klebsiella są poważnym problemem na oddziałach pediatrycznych, ponieważ wywołują wiele infekcji szpitalnych, takich jak ostre biegunki dzieci i noworodków. Ponieważ szczepy Klebsiella wchodzą w skład flory bakteryjnej przewodu pokarmowego, oznaczenie obecności enterotoksyn ciepłostabilnej oraz ciepłochwiejnej jest podstawą do określenia ich jako czynnika etiologicznego biegunki.
Cel pracy. Zbadanie ekspresji genów sta, stb i lth u szczepów izolowanych z przypadków biegunki dzieci hospitalizowanych oraz określenie częstości występowania tych genów u szczepów Klebsiella izolowanych w różnych ośrodkach klinicznych w Polsce.
Materiał i metody. Badanie obejmowało 61 klinicznych szczepów Klebsiella izolowanych z próbek kału dzieci z biegunką, hospitalizowanych w różnych oddziałach pediatrycznych. Obecność genów kodujących toksyny ST oraz LT była określana z użyciem metody PCR, szczepy pochodzące z krwi i układu oddechowego służyły jako druga grupa kontrolna.
Wyniki. Geny kodujące toksyny STa, STb, LTh wykryto w plazmidowym DNA u 85% szczepów Klebsiella izolowanych z przypadków biegunki. Istnieje ścisła korelacja między częstością występowania pojedynczych genów kodujących enterotoksyny a oddziałem klinicznym, z którego szczep był izolowany.
Wnioski. Metoda PCR może być używana do wykrywania genów kodujących enterotoksyny u Klebsiella i służyć może do rutynowej diagnostyki tego drobnoustroju.

Key words

Klebsiella, enterotoxins, sta, stb, lth, PCR

Słowa kluczowe

Klebsiella, enterotoksyny, sta, stb, lth, metoda PCR

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