Extended-spectrum β-lactamase/AmpC-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli from HIV patients: do they have a low virulence score?

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production and quinolone resistance are often associated in enterobacteria. Prior exposure to 3G cephalosporins/quinolones accelerates the risk of resistance to both these groups of antibiotics. Hence, information on the antimicrobial resistance pattern of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolates is important to better formulate the guidelines for the empirical therapy of urinary tract infection in the context of HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of ESBL/AmpC and fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance among urinary E. coli isolates and to establish the association of extraintestinal virulence and phylogenetic distribution with antibiotic resistance and host immunocompromisation. Accordingly, 118 urinary Escherichia coli isolates from HIV (n = 76) and non-HIV antenatal patients (n = 42) from Chennai, South India, were analysed for the presence of five virulence-associated genes (VAGs): pap, sfa/foc, afa/dra, iutA and kpsMII. Compared with the susceptible HIV isolates, the majority of the ESBL(+)AmpC(+)FQ(R) isolates harboured iutA (66.7%) and pap (40%). The FQ-resistant HIV isolates were significantly enriched for iutA (67.8%) and kpsMII (47.5%) and qualified as UPEC (54.2%), while a majority of the FQ-susceptible isolates from the non-HIV patients were found to harbour pap (48.4%), sfa/foc (41.9%) and kpsMII (48.4%) and were classified as UPEC (40.5%). We conclude that antibiotic-resistant (ESBL(+)AmpC(+)and/or FQ(R)) phylogroup D isolates with limited virulence are competent enough to establish infections in HIV patients, while among non-HIV patients, an array of virulence factors is essential for E. coli to overcome host defences irrespective of antibiotic resistance.