Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1978 Nov;22(2):308–311. doi: 10.1128/iai.22.2.308-311.1978

Interaction of human serum and neutrophils with Escherichia coli strains: differences between strains isolated from urine of patients with pyelonephritis or asymptomatic bacteriuria.

B Björkstén, B Kaijser
PMCID: PMC422154  PMID: 365753

Abstract

Strains of Escherichia coli isolated from the urine of children with pyelonephritis (n = 18) or asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) (n = 20) were serotyped and compared with respect to opsonic requirements, sensitivity to serum, amount of chemiluminescence produced by normal neutrophils during phagocytosis of the various strains, and amount of capsular antigen. Strains isolated from cases of ABU more often had the capacity to activate the alternative complement pathway than had strains causing pyelonephritis. The ABU strains were also better opsonized in fresh human serum and were more often serum sensitive than the pyelonephritic strains. There were individual variations in neutrophil chemiluminescence during phagocytosis of the various strains, but the two groups of strains did not differ significantly. The strains from pyelonephritis cases produced a greater amount of capsular antigens than the ABU strains. There was no correlation between presence of a particular O or K antigen and capacity to activate the alternative complement pathway. The observed differences between strains isolated from patients with ABU and those isolated from patients with pyelonephritis may be relevant for further studies on differences in bacterial virulence or host defense factors.

Full text

PDF
308

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bergström T., Lincoln K., Redin B., Winberg J. Studies of urinary tract infections in infancy and childhood. X. Short or long-term treatment in girls with first or second-time urinary tract infections uncomplicated by obstructive urological abnormalities. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1968 May;57(3):186–194. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1968.tb04677.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Björkstén B., Bortolussi R., Gothefors L., Quie P. G. Interaction of E. coli strains with human serum: lack of relationship to K1 antigen. J Pediatr. 1976 Dec;89(6):892–897. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(76)80592-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bortolussi R. A., Bjorkstein B., Quie P. G. On the accuracy of identification of K1 E. coli. J Pediatr. 1977 Sep;91(3):517–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(77)81355-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Forsgren A., Quie P. G. Influence of the alternate complement pathway in opsonization of several bacterial species. Infect Immun. 1974 Aug;10(2):402–404. doi: 10.1128/iai.10.2.402-404.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jodal U., Lindberg U., Lincoln K. Level diagnosis of symptomatic urinary tract infections in childhood. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1975 Mar;64(2):201–208. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1975.tb03822.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kaijser B., Hanson L. A., Jodal U., Lidin-Janson G., Robbins J. B. Frequency of E. coli K antigens in urinary-tract infections in children. Lancet. 1977 Mar 26;1(8013):663–666. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)92111-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kaijser B. Immunology of Escherichia coli: K antigen and its relation to urinary-tract infection. J Infect Dis. 1973 Jun;127(6):670–677. doi: 10.1093/infdis/127.6.670. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lidin-Janson G., Falsen E., Jodal U., Kaijser B., Lincoln K. Characteristics of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in the rectum of healthy school-children. J Med Microbiol. 1977 Aug;10(3):299–308. doi: 10.1099/00222615-10-3-299. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Olling S., Hanson L. A., Holmgren J., Jodal U., Lincoln K., Lindberg U. The bactericidal effect of normal human serum on E. coli strains from normals and from patients with urinary tract infections. Infection. 1973;1(1):24–28. doi: 10.1007/BF01638251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Orskov I., Orskov F., Jann B., Jann K. Serology, chemistry, and genetics of O and K antigens of Escherichia coli. Bacteriol Rev. 1977 Sep;41(3):667–710. doi: 10.1128/br.41.3.667-710.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Quie P. G., White J. G., Holmes B., Good R. A. In vitro bactericidal capacity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: diminished activity in chronic granulomatous disease of childhood. J Clin Invest. 1967 Apr;46(4):668–679. doi: 10.1172/JCI105568. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Robbins J. B., McCracken G. H., Jr, Gotschlich E. C., Orskov F., Orskov I., Hanson L. A. Escherichia coli K1 capsular polysaccharide associated with neonatal meningitis. N Engl J Med. 1974 May 30;290(22):1216–1220. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197405302902202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sarff L. D., McCracken G. H., Schiffer M. S., Glode M. P., Robbins J. B., Orskov I., Orskov F. Epidemiology of Escherichia coli K1 in healthy and diseased newborns. Lancet. 1975 May 17;1(7916):1099–1104. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)92496-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES