Molecular detection of aggregation substance, enterococcal surface protein, and cytolysin genes and in vitro adhesion to urinary catheters of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium of clinical origin

It has been hypothesized that nosocomial enterococci might have virulence factors that enhance their ability to colonise hospitalised patients. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of genes encoding 3 virulence factors: aggregation substance (asa1), enterococcal surface protein (esp), and 5 genes within the cytolysin operon (cylA, cylB, cylM, cylLL, cylLS) and cytolysin production in 115 enterococcal clinical isolates (21 Enterococcus faecium and 94 E. faecalis). Adhesion to siliconized latex urinary catheters in relation to presence of esp was analysed in a subset of isolates. The isolates were previously characterised by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). esp was the only virulence gene found in E. faecium. It was found in 71% of the 21 E. faecium isolates. asa1, esp, and the cyl operon were found in 79%, 73% and 13% respectively, of the 94 E. faecalis isolates. There was a complete agreement between presence of the cyl operon and phenotypic cytolysin production. Isolates belonging to a cluster of genetically related isolates carried esp and asa1 more often when compared to unique isolates. No difference was found with respect to cyl genes. E. faecalis isolates adhered with higher bacterial densities than E. faecium. E. faecalis isolates within the same PFGE cluster adhered with similar bacterial densities, but there was no association between adhesion and the presence of esp when isolates within the same cluster were compared. In conclusion, E. faecalis isolates with high-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) belonging to clusters of genetically related isolates widely distributed in Swedish hospitals, were likely to carry both esp and asa1. Adhesion was not affected by esp.