ABSTRACT
Aim: the aim of this study is to estimate the phenotypic characters of some virulence factors in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from urinary tract infections and their relative gene expression level
Methods: Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates were collected, identified. Their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern was determined. The presence of different virulence factors were evaluated. Relative expression level of different genes responsible for the appearance of the tested virulence factors was evaluated using QRT-PCR and PCR
Results: in this study, when testing the expression level of some genes like BssS and its genes in E. coli, we found that quinolone sensitive isolates of E, coli had shown higher expression level of the tested genes than that o f quinolone resistant E. coli isolates. These results agreed with the phenotypic characters of the tested virulence factors for the same isolates. On the other hand, in K. pneumoniae tested isolates, the expression level of BssS and fimH genes was evaluated and they showed higher expression level in quinolone resistant isolates than sensitive ones. These results agreed with the phenotypic characters of the tested virulence factors for the same isolates. PCR detection of iss gene on both plasmid and chromosomal DNA in K. pneumonia isolates has demonstrated that isolates that exhibit iss gene on both chromosomal and plasmid DNA were those that had shown higher expression at the genetic and phenotypic levels