Factores de virulencia en cepas de Aeromonas aisladas de pacientes con enfermedad diarreica aguda en Cuba

Objetivo: se realizo un estudio en cepas de Aeromonas aisladas de pacientes con enfermedad diarreica aguda en Cuba, para conocer la expresion fenotipica de la citotoxina y la enterotoxina como factores de virulencia. Metodos: se investigaron 46 cepas (A. hydrophila, A. veronii biovar sobria, A. caviae, A. veronii biovar veronii y Aeromonas spp.), aisladas de heces de pacientes con enfermedad diarreica aguda, en el periodo comprendido entre 2005 y 2006. Todas las cepas tenian identificado su patron de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana. Se comprobo la expresion fenotipica de la citotoxina y la enterotoxina en la linea celular Vero. Resultados: el estudio demostro que 91,31 por ciento de las cepas mostraron actividad citotoxica y 43,48 por ciento actividad enterotoxica. De las cepas multirresistentes, 93,75 por ciento presento al menos un factor de virulencia estudiado. Conclusiones: los resultados demostraron que los 2 factores de virulencia investigados estuvieron presentes en las cepas estudiadas, contribuyendo asi a los multiples esfuerzos que se realizan para conocer los mecanismos de enteropatogenicidad de este genero bacteriano. Objective: A study was carried out in Aeromonas strains isolated from patients with acute diarrheas in Cuba to find out the phenotypical expression of the cytotoxin and the enterotoxin as virulence factors. Methods: Forty six strains of the genus Aeromonas (A. hydrophila, A. veronii bv sobria, A. caviae, A. veronii bv veronii and Aeromonas spp.) isolated from stool specimens taken form patients with acute diarrheal disease were studied from 2005 to 2006. All the strains had their pattern of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern identified. The phenotypic expression of the cytotoxin and the enterotoxin in the Vero cell line was checked. Results: It was demonstrated that 91,31 percent of the strains showed cytotoxic activity and 43,48 percent of them enterotoxic activity. Regarding multiresistant strains, 93,75 percent presented with at least one of the studied virulence factors. Conclusions: these results proved that the two researched virulence factors did exist in the studied strains, thus contributing to the many efforts that are being made to learn about the mechanisms of enteropathogenicity of this bacterial genus.