ORIGINAL ARTICLE

10.1111/j.1469-0691.2008.02088.x

Genetic background of Escherichia coli isolates from patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: relationship with host factors and prognosis F. Bert1, X. Panhard2, J. Johnson3, H. Lecuyer1, R. Moreau4, J. Le Grand5, B. Johnston3, M. Sine`gre5, D. Valla4,6,7 and M.-H. Nicolas-Chanoine1,4,7 1

Service de Microbiologie, Hoˆpital AP-HP Beaujon, Clichy, 2UF de Biostatistiques, Hoˆpital AP-HP Bichat, Paris, France, 3Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 4INSERM U 773, Centre de Recherche Biome´dicale Bichat-Beaujon, Clichy, 5Service de Pharmacie, Hoˆpital AP-HP Beaujon, Clichy, 6Service d’He´patologie, Hoˆpital AP-HP Beaujon, Clichy and 7Faculte´ de Me´decine D. Diderot, Universite´ Paris, Paris, France

ABSTRACT Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a severe complication in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. It is predominantly caused by Escherichia coli. The phylogenetic group and virulence genotype of E. coli isolates causing SBP were investigated, and the association of these characteristics with host factors and prognosis was examined. Seventy-six episodes of E. coli SBP that occurred over a 9-year period were studied. The phylogenetic group of the isolates and the presence of 36 virulence factor genes were investigated. The influence of bacterial and host factors on in-hospital mortality was assessed by multiple logistic regression. Phylogenetic groups A, B1, B2 and D were found in 26%, 4%, 46% and 24% of the isolates, respectively. Virulence factor genes were more frequent in B2 isolates than in non-B2 isolates (mean virulence score 15.4 vs. 7.3, p