Comparison of bax, ibpAB and cspH Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates From Urine and Fecal Samples

Abdi, Elham; Ahmadi, Amjad; Azizaian, Khalil; Talebi Aghdam, Roya; Taherpour, Arezou

year 20, Issue 1 (January - February 2026) Iran J Med Microbiol 2026, 20(1): 12-21 | Back to browse issues page

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Abdi E, Ahmadi A, Azizaian K, Talebi Aghdam R, Taherpour A. Comparison of bax, ibpAB and cspH Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates From Urine and Fecal Samples. Iran J Med Microbiol 2026; 20 (1) :12-21
URL: http://ijmm.ir/article-1-2957-en.html

Comparison of bax, ibpAB and cspH Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates From Urine and Fecal Samples

Elham Abdi¹

, Amjad Ahmadi²

, Khalil Azizaian³

, Roya Talebi Aghdam¹

, Arezou Taherpour⁴

1- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
2- Health Metrics and Evaluation Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran & Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
3- Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
4- Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran , rezaeeit93@gmail.com

Abstract: (234 Views)

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia (E.) coli presents challenges in its clinical management. This study aimed to quantify the prevalence and relative expression levels of bax, ibpA, ibpB, and cspH genes in E. coli isolates obtained from urine and fecal samples of patients diagnosed with urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional investigation, 50 E. coli isolates (25 urinary and 25 fecal) were collected from patients diagnosed with UTI in Sanandaj, Iran. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Biofilm-forming capacity was quantified using microtiter plate assay. Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) was performed to determine gene expression levels of target genes.
Results: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of urinary isolates revealed maximal sensitivity to nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin, while the highest resistance rates were observed for amoxicillin, nalidixic acid, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In fecal isolates, the greatest sensitivity was recorded for nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin. The genomic prevalence of the bax, ibpA, ibpB, and cspH genes in urinary isolates was 100%. In fecal isolates, ibpA was ubiquitous (100%), while bax, ibpB, and cspH were detected in 96% of the strains. Analysis of relative expression levels showed that the expression of all 4 genes was significantly higher in urinary isolates compared to fecal isolates. No significant difference was observed in biofilm formation capacity between two groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion: This investigation identifies a significant differential expression of bax, ibpA, ibpB, and cspH genes between fecal and urinary E. coli isolates, whereas biofilm-forming capacity remained consistent across sources.

Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance, bax, cspH, Escherichia coli, IbpA, IbpB, PCR, Urinary Tract Infection

Full-Text [PDF 709 kb] (9 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Medical Bacteriology
Received: 2025/11/8 | Accepted: 2026/02/12 | ePublished: 2026/02/28

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