Study the relationship between virulence factors, antibiotic resistance and biofilm production of isolates Escherichia coli isolated from uti in Baghdad

Escherichia coli infection accounts for 80-90% of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) and 30-50% of hospital-acquired UTIs. Biofilm-forming E. coli isolates cause complex and recurrent infections as persistent and chronic inflammation in the urinary tract. The role of these genes in biofilm formation and the development of multiple resistance to antibiotics remains to be understood, as the transfer and exchange of pathogenic genes between bacterial species within the biofilm leads to difficulty in drug penetration through these membranes, as well as a tendency to resist many known antibiotics. In this study, it was aimed to determine the possible role of some Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) virulence genes in biofilm formation, to detect strong biofilm producing isolates and to investigate the capacity of these isolates to tend to more antibiotic resistance. The role of these genes in biofilm formation and the development of multiple resistance to antibiotics remains to be understood, as the transfer and exchange of pathogenic genes between bacterial strains within these membranes results in difficulty of drug penetration into these membranes, as well as a tendency to resist many known antibiotics. In this study, it was aimed to determine the possible role of some UPEC virulence genes in biofilm formation, to detect strong biofilm producing isolates and to investigate the capacity of these isolates to tend to more antibiotic resistance. Study 100 urine samples were collected from Iraqi patients with urinary tract infections at multiple hospitals in Baghdad. Using the VITIC 2 system, 20 cases of E. coli infection were identified and diagnosed. The drug resistance profile and biofilm producing capacity were determined and the strongest biofilm producing isolates were determined. Some virulence genes of E. coli strain were determined by PCR technique. In the antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolated strains, high resistance was observed at the rate of 95% against ampicillin, 90% against augmentin and 90% against, oxacillin, while it was observed that resistance rates of 70%, 65%, 60% and 60% were developed for vancomycin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and cefepim, respectively. Weak resistance (40%, 40% and 35%, respectively) occurred for gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin. The frequencies of papC, fimH, sfa and cnf1 genes were (45%, 95%, 25% and 15%), respectively. In terms of biofilm production capacity, 20 (100%) of 20 E. coli isolates were found to be capable of forming biofilms. These 20 isolates were divided into three groups as strong biofilm producers (5 isolates, 25%), moderate biofilm producers (9 isolates, 45%) and weak biofilm producers (6 isolates, 30%). In addition, there was a strong association between the fimH gene (95%), while the papC gene was moderately (55%) and weakly associated with biofilm formation (25% and 15%, respectively) compared to the sfa and cnf1 genes. Although UPEC isolates have the ability to form biofilms, they tend to show resistance to multiple antibiotics, and these genes play an important role in biofilm formation.