Molecular Detection of adhesion gene in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Children in Iraqi patients

    A total of (93) samples of urine was collected from patients ranging in age from one to ten years, including both genders, from  Central Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Baghdad during the period from September 2023 and March 2024. The isolates were identified by morphological and biochemical characteristics as well as the API 20E system after the urine samples were cultured. The results showed that 59of 93 isolates (63%) were E. coli. This study demonstrated that 19 samples (76%) of the E. coli isolates were from females and only 6 samples(24%) were from males. A selection of ten E. coli isolates was chosen according to their highest adherence to uroepithelial cells. The isolates' capacity to adhere to epithelial cells taken from female urine samples was examined. All of the isolates were discovered to be able to adhere to epithelial cells with a mean of (20.00±0.82, 19.00±0.82, 17.25±0.89, 17 ± 0.699025, 16.00±0.74, 14.00±0.82, 14.5± 0.67082, 13.5± 0.513701, 13.5± 0.612372, 13.00±0.70) adherent bacteria, isolates, on the other hand, had the highest capacity. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed on the isolates, and the results showed that all of the isolates were highly sensitive to Ciproflaxian (100%), ampicillin (90%), and  gentamicin (70%), and However, higher resistance was found to Trimethoprim/Sulphamethoxazole (100%), naldixic acid (80%), Ceftriaxone (80%), and cephalexin (80%). Extraction of the genomic DNA of ten E. coli was carried out for genetic investigation of selected isolates. This was done by isolating them using conventional PCR and amplifying the fimH gene, which is attributed to fimbria adhesion to uroepithelial cell