Utility of random amplification of polymorphic DNA assay and BOX-A PCR in molecular characterization of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates recovered from various ophthalmic infections.
OBJECTIVE
Studies emphasizing the genotype distribution among ophthalmic isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae are scarce. There is no conclusive information on genetic relatedness of the ophthalmic isolates with the commensal and systemic isolates of S. pneumoniae.


METHODS
To find out the relatedness between the ophthalmic, invasive and commensal isolates of S. pneumoniae, genotyping was carried out by using RAPD and BOX-A PCR assays. The serotyping was carried out by a rapid co-agglutination method using 12-pooled S. pneumoniae antisera.


RESULTS
Topological relationship was identified in order of similarity, and phylogenetic tree was drawn employing sequential clustering alogarithm by UPGMA linkage analysis. The 61 isolates were distributed in 17 RAPD types, 11 BOX-A types and 21 serotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Both genotyping techniques were useful in terms of intraspecies genomic variation in S. pneumoniae. BOX-A PCR typing was found to be slightly superior to RAPD analysis in terms of reproducibility and standardization. No specific S. pneumoniae serotype or genotype was found to have special predilection to cause ophthalmic infections.
Kar
Upendra K
UK
Department of Ocular Microbiology, Dr. R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Medical Institute, New Delhi, India.
Satapathy
Gita
G
Panda
S K
SK
Das
B K
BK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004269:DNA, Bacterial