Evaluation of emm gene types, toxin gene profiles and clonal relatedness of group A streptococci

Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 2013 Aug;13(3):163-9. doi: 10.17305/bjbms.2013.2356.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate antibiotic susceptibilities, emm gene types, toxin gene profiles and clonal relatedness of group A streptococci (GAS) isolates obtained from patients and carriers. A total of 79 clinical isolates from patients and 60 isolates from carriers were included in the study. Emm typing, toxin gene detection for speA, speB, speC, speG and smeZ genes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed. Twenty-one distinct emm types were detected; the most common types were emm12, emm89, emm1, emm77, emm4 and emm3. The detection rates of both emm types and the toxin genes didn't differ significantly between patients and carriers. The presence of speA and smeZ was significantly higher in emm1 and speG was significantly lower in emm4 when compared to the other emm types. The rate of clustering obtained with PFGE wasn't significantly different in patients and carriers. As a result, twelve of the 21 emm types detected in this study were covered by the 26-valent vaccine, constituting 77.7% of the emm typeable isolates; however the emm4 type which is one of the most common types in the present study is not among this coverage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Antigens, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Child
  • Electrophoresis
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / classification
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • streptococcal M protein