M genotyping and DNA fingerprinting of Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from an area of central Italy.
M protein gene typing was used to analyse Streptococcus pyogenes clinical isolates collected between 1983 and 1995 in an area of central Italy from patients presenting different types of infections; the same isolates were also characterized by means of DNA fingerprinting. M type 1 was the most common (50% of study strains), followed by M types 4, 12 and 6. The proportion of M type 12 decreased with time, whereas M type 1 increased, in agreement with data obtained in many different areas. Most invasive strains belonged to types M1 (30%) and M12 (30%); on the other hand, the M1 type did frequently occur also among non-invasive isolates. DNA fingerprinting showed a correlation between M types and DNA patterns. This report provides epidemiological information from a geographic area not sampled recently, and further shows the usefulness of the M genotyping technique, which offers potential advantages over conventional serological typing methods.
Mencarelli
M
M
Institute of Clinical Infectious Disease, University of Siena, Italy.
Corbisiero
R
R
Marzocchi
B
B
Gistri
A
A
Signori
R
R
Rossolini
A
A
Cellesi
C
C
D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial