Assessment of Surface Penetration Capability of E. faecalis Strains Isolated from UTI Patients

Thursday, October 5, 2023

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM US PST

Location: B119

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Image Label: Figure 1. Surface penetration by urine isolates

Scientific Table Presenter(s)

Stephanie Sansone, MD

Urogynecology Attending
Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Neptune, New Jersey, United States

Co-Author(s)

YR

Yusibeska Ramos, PhD

Research Associate
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, United States
SS

Saya Segal, MD, MSCE

Assistant Attending & Professor of OB/GYN, Div. of Urogynecology
New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, United States
TA

Tirsit Asfaw, MD

Associate Attending & Professor of OB/GYN, Div. of Urogynecology
New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, United States
DM

Diana K. Morales, PhD

Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, United States

Disclosure(s):

Yusibeska Ramos, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Saya Segal, MD, MSCE: No financial relationships to disclose

Tirsit Asfaw, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Diana K. Morales, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Urogynecologists frequently encounter patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs), with several uropathogenic bacteria emerging. Our lab is interested in one of those organisms, Enterococcus faecalis, which has the ability to undergo genetic mutations, form biofilms, and become highly resistant to many antibiotics. Furthermore, while the epidemiology of nosocomial infections is well-characterized, characteristics of E. faecalis infections in the ambulatory setting is lacking. Our work demonstrates that E. faecalis isolates from urogynecologic patients with and without UTIs, collected from both the urine and vagina, exhibit differences in surface invasion compared to a reference strain. The isolation site, particularly the vagina, may be associated with a greater capacity for invasion and recurrent UTIs.