Typing of macrolide resistant group A streptococci by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

• Published in: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences Vol. 18; no. 19; p. 2960
• Main Authors: Gajic, I, Mijac, V, Stanojevic, M, Ranin, L, Smitran, A, Opavski, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01.10.2014
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - drug effects; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - genetics; Humans; Macrolides - pharmacology; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - genetics; Random Allocation; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique - methods; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Streptococcus pyogenes - drug effects; Streptococcus pyogenes - genetics
• ISSN: 2284-0729

Several studies of group A streptococci (GAS) have revealed that a small number of dominant resistant clones might be responsible for the spread of Streptococcus (S.) pyogenes resistance to macrolides. We aimed to determine the genetic diversity of macrolide resistant group A streptococci (MRGAS), isolated from patients with pharyngitis in Serbia. The clonal relationships among 76 MRGAS isolates collected during 2008 were studied using two molecular typing methods: emm typing and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Isolates that share the same emm type and RAPD pattern were considered to belong to the same clone. Out of 7 distinct emm types identified, the 3 most frequently occurring overall were emm12, emm75 and emm77 (> 90% of isolates). Although as many as 26 different RAPD patterns were found among the isolates studied, two clones with emm12 and emm77 accounted 32 out of 76 (42%) isolates. The results indicate a polyclonal spread of erythromycin-resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in our country. Furthermore, predominance of two clones, particularly among emm12 and emm77 strains indicates that erythromycin-resistant GAS of the same clonal origin are widely distributed in Serbia.