Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Infection in Cancer and Immunosuppressed Patients.
Clin Infect Dis
; 72(10): e620-e629, 2021 05 18.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32930708
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The role of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) as a cause of diarrhea in cancer and immunocompromised patients is controversial. Quantitation of fecal bacterial loads has been proposed as a method to differentiate colonized from truly infected patients.METHODS:
We studied 77 adult cancer and immunosuppressed patients with diarrhea and EPEC identified in stools by FilmArray, 25 patients with pathogen-negative diarrhea, and 21 healthy adults without diarrhea. Stools were studied by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for EPEC genes eaeA and lifA/efa-1 and strains characterized for virulence factors and adherence to human intestinal enteroids (HIEs).RESULTS:
Patients with EPEC were more likely to have community-acquired diarrhea (odds ratio, 3.82 [95% confidence interval, 1.5-10.0]; P = .008) compared with pathogen-negative cases. Although EPEC was identified in 3 of 21 (14%) healthy subjects by qPCR, the bacterial burden was low compared to patients with diarrhea (≤55 vs median, 6 × 104 bacteria/mg stool; P < .001). Among EPEC patients, the bacterial burden was higher in those who were immunosuppressed (median, 6.7 × 103 vs 55 bacteria/mg; P < .001) and those with fecal lifA/ifa-1 (median, 5 × 104 vs 120 bacteria/mg; P = .015). Response to antimicrobial therapy was seen in 44 of 48 (92%) patients with EPEC as the sole pathogen. Antimicrobial resistance was common and strains exhibited distinct patterns of adherence with variable cytotoxicity when studied in HIEs. Cancer care was delayed in 13% of patients.CONCLUSIONS:
Immunosuppressed cancer patients with EPEC-associated diarrhea carry high burden of EPEC with strains that are resistant to antibiotics, exhibit novel patterns of adherence when studied in HIEs, and interfere with cancer care.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Infecciones por Escherichia coli
/
Escherichia coli Enteropatógena
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Clin Infect Dis
Asunto de la revista:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos