title: Streptococcal erythrogenic toxin spe A gene detection by polymerase chain reaction in strains isolated in Albania.
abstract: The presence of gene encoding erythrogenic toxin type A (spe A) was determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to target specific sequences in 72 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes representative T type strains, which were associated with scarlet fever, impetigo, tonsillitis, isolated between the years 1980-1982 and in 1995 by carriers. Isolates showed statistically significant differences in the presence of spe A. With scarlet fever the strains had a 22.22% association, with impetigo had a 8.33% association. With tonsillitis' and with carriers had a low association, 5.55% and 6.9% respectively. The analysis of the data indicated that strains with certain T type surface antigens showed a higher (such as T-1, T-2, T-5) or lower (such as T-4, T-13, T-27) tendency to contain the spe A gene were more likely to be associated with scarlet fever and impetigo than with other types of diseases.
authors.affiliation: Cantacuzino Institute, Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shundi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damian
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005098:Exotoxins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; C117980:SpeA protein, Streptococcus pyogenes; C027951:erythrogenic toxin