title: Comparison of serotyping, pulsed field gel electrophoresis and amplified fragment length polymorphism for typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to compare serotyping, PFGE and AFLP for typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae with regard to discriminatory power, typeability and typing system concordance. Thirty-four isolates from cerobrospinal fluid and 34 time-matched blood culture isolates collected from in-patients at two hospitals in western Norway during the period from January 1994 to May 2002 were included in the study. The discriminatory powers of serotyping, PFGE and AFLP were 0.93, 0.99 and 0.95, respectively. The typeabilities for serotyping, PFGE and AFLP were 1, 1 and 0.99, respectively. A good concordance was shown between all the typing methods. Serotyping would most probably have a higher discriminatory power if further subtyping had been performed. PFGE was more discriminatory than AFLP, and AFLP grouped more-distantly related isolates together. The two typing methods thus provided different information, and therefore both could be useful adjuncts to serotyping for the characterization of S. pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 2Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 3Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 4Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Aishath
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaaly
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 2Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 3Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 4Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Marit Gjerde
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tellevik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 2Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 3Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 4Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Langeland
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 2Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 3Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 4Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: E Arne
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Høiby
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 2Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 3Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 4Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jureen
mesh_terms: D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012703:Serotyping; D013045:Species Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics