title: Rapid molecular identification of Neisseria meningitidis isolates using the polymerase chain reaction followed by single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis.
abstract: Typing of Neisseria meningitidis strains is currently performed with conventional and molecular methods. Our objectives were: first, to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the PorA gene (VR1 region) to distinguish N. meningitidis subtypes and second, to evaluate the method for the identification and characterization of N. meningitidis in patient specimens. SSCP analysis of the VR1 region of the PorA1/2 gene from 126 N. meningitidis strains and 29 clinical samples identified seven SSCP types (SP-1 to SP-7); four strains were not typeable by the method. Classification according to the SSCP methods and serosubtype agreed for 122 of the 126 typeable strains (96.8%). For the 24-culture positive clinical samples, serosubtype and SSCP agreed in all cases. Five samples, which were culture-negative but obtained from children during an apparent outbreak of meningococcal disease in a primary school, presented identical SSCP classification for each sample (SP-2). PCR-SSCP is a rapid and cost-effective method for typing N. meningitidis strains that could provide important early information in the surveillance of suspected meningococcal outbreaks, particularly when culture-negative specimens constitutes the main source of material to analyze.
authors.affiliation: National Meningococcal Reference Laboratory, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras Avenue, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kesanopoulos
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzanakaki
authors.forename: Aristea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velegraki
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tegos
authors.forename: Dominique A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Caugant
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Menounos
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kourea-Kremastinou
authors.forename: Stamatina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levidiotou-Stefanou
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D018272:Porins / Q000235:genetics; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018272:Porins; C057699:porin protein, Neisseria