Molecular typing of Treponema pallidum strains from patients with neurosyphilis in Pretoria, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the molecular typing system for Treponema pallidum using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens obtained from patients with neurosyphilis in Pretoria, South Africa.


METHODS
CSF specimens were collected from 32 men and 18 women with suspected late neurosyphilis. Typing of T pallidum involved PCR amplification and restriction analysis of the tprE, G and J genes and determination of the number of 60 base pair tandem repeats within the arp gene by PCR amplification.


RESULTS
Of 13 typeable specimens, 4 strain types were identified: 2i, 3e, 14a and 17e. Subtype 14a was identified in 7 specimens (53.8%), subtype 3e in 4 specimens (30.7%) and subtypes 17e and 2i in 1 specimen (7.6%) each.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that the typing system can be applied to specimens which may contain low numbers of spirochaetes such as CSF.
Molepo
J
J
Department of Microbiological Pathology, Medunsa Campus, University of Limpopo, Pretoria, South Africa.
Pillay
A
A
Weber
B
B
Morse
S A
SA
Hoosen
A A
AA
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004269:DNA, Bacterial