Table 2. The prevalence of virulence-associated genes among 74 uropathogenic E. coli isolates from cats.
| Prevalence [no. (%)] of virulence genes | P value | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number(n = 74) | NDR (n = 12) | SDR (n = 26) | MDR (n = 36) | NDRvsSDR | NDRvsMDR | SDRvsMDR | |
| Phylogenetic group | |||||||
| B2 | 55 (74.3) | 11 (91.7) | 20 (76.9) | 24 (66.7) | 0.009 | 0.007 | 0.092 |
| B1 | 7 (9.5) | 1 (8.3) | 4 (15.4) | 2 (5.6) | 0.001 | 0.008 | 0.054 |
| D | 6 (8.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 6 (13.9) | 1 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
| A | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (5.6) | 1 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
| E | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (5.6) | 1 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
| F | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0) | 2 (7.7) | 0 (0) | <0.0001 | 1 | <0.0001 |
| Virulence determinants | |||||||
| Adhesins | |||||||
| afa/draBC | 68 (91.9) | 12 (100) | 24 (92.3) | 32 (88.9) | 0.465 | 0.587 | 0.309 |
| fimH | 64 (86.5) | 11 (91.7) | 23 (88.5) | 30 (83.3) | 0.302 | 0.302 | 0.204 |
| papA | 47 (63.5) | 11 (91.7) | 16 (61.5) | 20 (55.6) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.112 |
| papE | 47 (63.5) | 9 (75.0) | 16 (61.5) | 22 (61.1) | 0.017 | 0.044 | 0.178 |
| sfa/focDE | 47 (63.5) | 10 (83.3) | 20 (76.9) | 17 (47.2) | 0.068 | 0.008 | 0.004 |
| papC | 45 (60.8) | 10 (83.3) | 18 (69.2) | 17 (47.2) | 0.038 | 0.008 | 0.018 |
| focG | 44 (59.5) | 10 (83.3) | 16 (61.5) | 18 (50.0) | 0.000 | 0.006 | 0.048 |
| papG | 21 (28.4) | 9 (75.0) | 11 (42.3) | 1 (2.8) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| focA | 31 (41.9) | 5 (41.7) | 13 (50.0) | 13 (36.1) | 0.143 | 0.068 | 0.038 |
| papG III | 30 (40.5) | 11 (91.7) | 8 (30.8) | 11 (30.6) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.957 |
| sfaS | 9 (12.2) | 1 (8.3) | 5 (19.2) | 3 (8.3) | 0.002 | 1 | 0.002 |
| papG II | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0) | 2 (7.7) | 0 (0) | 0.086 | 1 | 0.086 |
| papG I | 1 (1.4) | 1 (8.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.092 | 0.092 | 1 |
| bmaE | 1 (1.4) | 1 (8.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.092 | 0.092 | 1 |
| Toxins | |||||||
| hlyD | 56 (75.7) | 11 (91.7) | 19 (73.1) | 26 (72.2) | 0.027 | 0.024 | 0.915 |
| hlyA | 45 (60.8) | 11 (91.7) | 17 (65.4) | 17 (47.2) | 0.011 | 0.005 | 0.027 |
| cnf1 | 45 (60.8) | 9 (75) | 18 (69.2) | 18 (50.0) | 0.068 | 0.013 | 0.024 |
| Capsule synthesis | |||||||
| kpsMT II | 41 (55.4) | 8 (66.7) | 15 (57.7) | 18 (50.0) | 0.051 | 0.027 | 0.059 |
| rfc | 12 (16.2) | 3 (25.0) | 5 (9.2) | 4 (11.1) | 0.032 | 0.038 | 0.107 |
| kpsMTK 5 | 11 (14.9) | 3 (25.0) | 4 (15.4) | 4 (11.1) | 0.051 | 0.038 | 0.077 |
| kpsMTK 1 | 3 (4.1) | 2 (16.7) | 1 (3.8) | 0 (0) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.002 |
| Siderophores | |||||||
| fyuA | 62 (83.8) | 12 (100) | 24 (92.3) | 26 (72.2) | 0.025 | 0.001 | 0.015 |
| iroN | 45 (60.8) | 8 (66.7) | 17 (65.4) | 20 (55.6) | 0.166 | 0.064 | 0.075 |
| iutA | 45 (60.8) | 6 (50.0) | 13 (50.0) | 26 (72.2) | 1 | 0.015 | 0.015 |
| ireA | 21 (28.4) | 4 (33.3) | 10 (38.5) | 7 (19.4) | 0.409 | 0.009 | 0.006 |
| Invasin | |||||||
| ibeA | 13 (17.6) | 4 (33.3) | 4 (15.4) | 5 (13.9) | 0.029 | 0.039 | 0.132 |
| Others | |||||||
| traT | 50 (67.6) | 12 (100) | 15 (57.7) | 23 (63.9) | 0.004 | 0.005 | 0.131 |
| PAI | 44 (59.5) | 10 (83.3) | 15 (57.7) | 19 (52.8) | 0.020 | 0.009 | 0.138 |
| cvaC | 6 (8.1) | 4 (33.3) | 0 (0) | 2 (5.6) | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.128 |
The 29 virulence-associated genes analysed were: afa/draBC, Dr-binding adhesins; fimH, mannose-specific adhesin of type 1 fimbriae; papA, P fimbriae structural subunit; papE, fimbriae tip pilins; papC, p fimbriae assembly; papG, p fimbriae adhesin (and alleles I, II, and III); sfa/focDE, S and F1C fimbriae; sfaS, S fimbriae; focG, focA, F1C fimbriae; bmaE, blood group M fimbriae; hlyD, hlyA, α-haemolysin; cnf1, cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1; kpsM II, group 2 capsule in addition to specifically targeting K1 and K5 genes; rfc, O antigen polymerase; fyuA, ferric yersiniabactin receptor; iutA, aerobactin receptor; iroN, almochelin receptor; ireA, iron-responsive element gene; ibeA, invasion of brain endothelium; traT, serum-resistance associated; PAI, pathogenicity island; cvaC, Colicin-V.