Molecular Detection of Specific Virulence Genes of Escherichia Coli Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections in AL-Najaf, Iraq

The present study was carried out at AL-Najaf, AL-Ashraf Teaching Hospital. A collection of 150 urine samples was acquired from individuals who were suspected of having urinary tract infections, as determined by their clinical manifestations and symptoms as diagnosed by the attending physician. Subsequently, the samples underwent analysis utilizing optical microscopy and bacterial cell detection techniques, yielding definitive evidence regarding the presence of pathogenic bacteria. In order to identify the genes responsible for specific virulence factors, the positive samples underwent culturing and were subsequently analysed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Among the 150 samples analysed, a total of 110 specimens, accounting for 74.33% of the sample population, exhibited noteworthy bacterial growth. Specifically, 81 specimens, representing 73.64% of the female specimens, displayed significant bacterial growth, while the remaining 29 specimens, constituting 26.36% of the male specimens, demonstrated the same characteristic. The DNA was isolated from E. coli isolates using the DNA isolation kit. The utilization of the PCR was employed in order to ascertain the existence of particular genes, specifically 16s RNA, LuxS, Stx2a, HlyA, and RopE. The findings of the study indicated that all of the isolates (100%) were found to possess the 16s RNA gene, the RopE gene and the LuxS gene. Additionally, a smaller proportion of the isolates (20%) were found to carry the hlyA gene, while a minority of the isolates (5.7%) were found to carry the Stx2a gene.