Evaluation of Virulence Characteristics in Klebsiellapneumoniae Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infections

Background and objectives: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infectious diseases in human. Klebsiellapneumoniae is an opportunistic microorganism cause of UTI. Klebsiella pneumonia strains have numerous virulence factors that have important roles in pathogenesis of these strains in UTIs. There are little studies about pathogenesis of K. pneumoniae strains isolated from UTI patients in Iran. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics in K. pneumoniae isolated from UTI patients in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: Totally, 120 Klebsiellapneumoniaeisolates were collected from patients with different clinical symptoms of UTI in hospitals from Tehran, Iran. The isolates were screened for biofilm and hemolysinproduction, and then the property of the isolates as mannose –sensitive (MSHA) or mannose –resistance hemagglutination (MRHA) was assayed. Results: Of the 120 K. pneumoniaeisolates, biofilm and hemolysin formation was seen in 90% and 85% isolates, respectively. Moreover, 95% isolates showed the presence of f1 fimbriae (MSHA) and P fimbriae (MRHA), respectively. Conclusion: The present study provides information relevant to the virulence characteristics of K. pneumoniae isolated from UTI patients. The phenotypic virulence properties including the fimbriae f1 expression, biofilm and hemolysinformation and hemagglutination production were found in almost all of our isolates. This shows the highly virulence of K. pneumoniae isolated from UTI patients from Iran that should be considered in the future for treatment of the infections.