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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1999, p. 497-503, Vol. 37, No. 3
Department of Population
Medicine1 and
Department of
Pathobiology,
Received 13 July 1998/Returned for modification 9 October
1998/Accepted 19 November 1998
Associations between known or putative virulence factors of Shiga
toxin-producing Escherichia coli and disease in humans were investigated. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis of a set of 237 isolates from 118 serotypes showed significant associations between the presence of genes for intimin
(eae) and Shiga toxin 2 (stx2) and
isolates from serotypes reported in humans. Similar associations were
found with isolates from serotypes reported in hemorrhagic colitis and
hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) hemolysin gene was significantly associated with isolates from serotypes found in severe diseases in univariate analysis
but not in multivariate logistic regression models. A strong
association between the intimin and EHEC-hemolysin genes may explain
the lack of statistical significance of EHEC hemolysin in these
multivariate models, but a true lack of biological significance of the
hemolysin in humans or in disease cannot be excluded. This result
warrants further investigations of this topic. Multivariate analysis
revealed an interaction between the eae and
stx2 genes, thus supporting the hypothesis of
the synergism between the adhesin intimin and Shiga toxin 2. A strong
statistical association was observed between the
stx2 gene and severity of disease for a set of
112 human isolates from eight major serotypes. A comparison of 77 isolates of bovine origin and 91 human isolates belonging to six major
serotypes showed significant associations of the genes for Shiga toxin
1 and EspP protease with bovine isolates and an increased adherence on
HEp-2 cell cultures for human isolates, particularly from diarrheic
patients and healthy persons.
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Associations between Virulence Factors of Shiga Toxin-Producing
Escherichia coli and Disease in Humans
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institut
für Veterinär-Bakteriologie der Universität Bern,
Länggassstrasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Phone: (41)
31-631 2368. Fax: (41) 31-631 2634. E-mail:
patrick.boerlin{at}vbi.unibe.ch.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1999, p. 497-503, Vol. 37, No. 3
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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