“…Higher levels of expression of genes encoding virulence factors involved in adhesion, invasion, and survival encoding were detected in AIEC isolated from patients with CD, IBD, and ulcerative colitis [ 128 , 129 , 130 ]. Virulence factors present in AIEC isolated from patients with intestinal disorders include the adhesive subunit of type-1 fimbriae, the polypeptide stress response protein, the invasion protein ibeA , the invasion plasmid antigen, and virulence factors involved in ferric yersiniabactin uptake and capsule synthesis encoded by fimH , yjaA , ibeA , ipaH , fyuA , and kpsMT II genes, respectively [ 114 , 131 , 132 ]. AIEC strains have been considered a new therapeutic target for treating patients with IBD and CD [ 123 ].…”