title: Characteristics of Streptococcus pyogenes serotype M1 and M3 isolates from patients in Japan from 1981 to 1997.
abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes isolates obtained in 1981 to 1997 from patients and healthy subjects were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns, biotyping, and the presence of spe genes encoding streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins. Changes in the profiles were shown in the serotype M1/T1 isolates from pharyngitis over this period, but not in serotype M3/T3 isolates. The characteristics of isolates from patients with toxic shock-like syndrome (TSLS) were comparable to those of the other isolates, including those from healthy subjects. This finding suggests that further phenotypic and molecular characterization, such as investigating the genomic difference represented by the pathogenicity island, of isolates with apparently the same profiles would be necessary to determine the etiology of diseases caused by S. pyogenes, including TSLS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology and Pathology, Kanagawa Prefectural Public Health Laboratory, Yokohama 241-0815, Japan. molamolatm@aol.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005098:Exotoxins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C117980:SpeA protein, Streptococcus pyogenes; C027951:erythrogenic toxin