ICL 2.18: E. Coli Flashcards
what is the microbiology of Escherichia?
gram (-) rod
what is the microbiology of Klebsiella?
gram (-) rod
what is the microbiology of proteus?
gram (-) rod
what is the microbiology of yersinia?
gram (-) rod
what is the reservoir and diseases associated with escherichia?
reservoir = ileum and colon of vertebrates
diseases = *UTI, *septicemia, *neonatal meningitis, diarrhea
what is the reservoir and diseases associated with proteus?
reservoir = colon of vertebrates, water, soil
diseases = *UTI, septicemia, pneumonia
what is the reservoir and diseases associated with Klebsiella?
reservoir = colon of vertebrates, water, sewage
diseases = Pneumonia, septicemia, opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients
what is the reservoir and diseases associated with yersinia?
reservoir = rodents, pigs, water
diseases = *plague, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea, pseudoappendicitis, mesenteric adenitis syndrome
which bacteria are in the enterobacteriaceae family that are no in the GI tract?
- K1EC
- UPEC
- Proteus
- Klebsiella
- Yersinia pestis
what’s are antigens associated with enterobacteriaceae?
- LPS
- O antigen
- K antigen
- H antigen
- pili/fimbriae
the major antigens are used to type via serology –> O antigen: E. coli O157:H7
what is the function of LPS in enterobacteriaceae?
LPS binds to TLR4 on host cells which induces cytokines like TNF-alpha
TNF-alpha causes inflammation, fever, DIC, shock
what is the function of O antigen in enterobacteriaceae?
it’s part of LPS
what is the function of K antigen in enterobacteriaceae?
it’s the capsule!!
it blocks Ab and complement binding (serum resistance)
what is the function of H antigen in enterobacteriaceae?
it’s the flagella!!
provides motility
except Klebsiella and Yersinia
what is enterobacteriaceae phase variation?
the bacteria can change what is expressed under certain conditions
aka it can turn off/on virulence factors
what can enterobacteriaceae ferment?
glucose
are enterobacteriaceae anaerobic or aerobic?
aerobic but can be facultative anaerobic
what disease does e. coli K1 most often cause?
neonatal meningitis
which pathogen is causing this?
CJ is a 3-day-old baby boy born at term (40 weeks gestation)
Brought to ER for a fever of 101∘F and irritability
Mother states that all symptoms started 6-8 h prior to arrival @ ER
He has not been feeding well since.
The pregnancy was uneventful; delivery was vaginal without prolonged rupture of membranes.
However, she had a fever during labor, for which she was given antibiotics.
On examination, CJ had a full anterior fontanelle and increased tone in all four extremities
WBC: 19,000/µL
Differential: 60% neutrophils, 20% bands, 20% lymphocytes.
CSF: 1500 WBC /µL with 85% PMNs
Gram stain of CSF: showed Gram negative rods
E. coli K1
when are E. coli K1 infections most common?
E. coli K1 causes neonatal bacterial meningitis
it’s more common in the first month than at any other time of life
it’s rare but occurs in 15% of neonates with bacteremia
mortality has dropped a lot however survivors are still at high risk for neurologic sequelae and lifelong impairment as a result of infectious insult to developing brain
what are the risk factors that could cause neonatal bacterial meningitis?
- Low birth weight
- Pre-term birth
- Premature membrane rupture
- Traumatic delivery –> sepsis
- Fetal hypoxia
what are the common clinical signs of neonatal bacterial meningitis?
- Temperature instability (fever or hypothermia)
- Irritability or lethargy
- Poor feeding or vomiting
- Findings of a full, but not bulging, fontanelle
- normal neck flexion are common at
initial presentation
which two pathogens are common causes of neonatal meningitis?
- E. coli K1 = early onset (3-7 days)
2. Group B Strep = late onset
what are the steps that happen during E. coli infection?
(1) Mucosal colonization in nose/mouth
(2) Invasion of bloodstream
(3) Survival and multiplication causing high-level bacteremia
(4) Crossing the blood–brain barrier
(5) Invasion of the meninges and the central nervous system.
(6-9) lead to neuronal injury (10)
how does E. coli K1 get across the BBB?
it needs a high degree of bacteremia
then E. coli binds to and invades the brain micro-vascular epithelial cells through ligand-receptor interactions
then there’s host cytoskeletal rearragnements and activation of different signalling pathways
E. coli invades the cells but doesn’t grow intracellularly
this is transcellular traversal!
what is the E. coli K1 trojan horse mechanism?
E. coli binds to and invades macrophages in order to cross the blood brain barrier
what is the capsule of E. coli K1 made of?
poly-sialic acid
this helps it evade the immune system because it mimics our systems sialic acid = molecular mimicry*
it also binds factor H which blocks alternative complement pathway –> when factor H is bound to a cell it tells the immune system not to kill it!
how do you diagnose an E. coli K1 infection?
- bacterial isolation from the CSF by culture and/or visualization by Gram stain
- increased CSF WBCs (typically >1000/µL) with a predominance of neutrophils
- elevated CSF protein (>150 mg/dL in preterm and >100 mg/dL in term infants)
- decreased CSF glucose (<20 mg/dL [1.1 mmol/L] in preterm and <30 mg/dL [1.7 mmol/L] in term infants)
what CBC lab results will you see with an E. coli K1 infection?
WBC: 19,000/µL
differential: 60% neutrophils, 20% bands, 20% lymphocytes.
CSF: 1500 WBC /µL with 85% PMNs
gram stain of CSF: showed Gram negative rods
culture of CSF: grew E. coli. The E. coli was resistant only to ampicillin.