Mycobacterium tuberculosis Uganda genotype is the predominant cause of TB in Kampala, Uganda.
METHODS
Rubaga Division, Kampala, Uganda.


OBJECTIVE
To use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based regions of difference (RD) analysis to study the species diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from a community-based sample of tuberculosis (TB) patients from Rubaga and to perform long sequence polymorphism (LSP) analysis to further characterise the M. tuberculosis Uganda genotype, a group of strains previously recognised by their characteristic spoligotype patterns.


METHODS
For the present study, 344 consecutive TB patients attending clinics in Rubaga Division were enrolled. Sample processing and culture were performed at the National Tuberculosis and Reference Laboratory and molecular assays at Makerere Medical School. Species identification was achieved by determining the RDs, while spoligotyping and LSP analysis were performed to characterise the M. tuberculosis Uganda genotype.


RESULTS
Of the 344 isolates, 343 (99.7%) were M. tuberculosis sensu stricto, while one was classical M. bovis. The Uganda genotype strains characteristically lacked RD724, a locus that defines one of the major sub-lineages of M. tuberculosis, which suggested that this geographically constrained lineage is specifically adapted to a central African human host population.


CONCLUSIONS
M. tuberculosis is the most prevalent species of the M. tuberculosis complex in Kampala, and the Uganda genotype is the predominant strain.
Asiimwe
B B
BB
Department of Medical Microbiology, Makerere University Medical School, Kampala, Uganda.
Koivula
T
T
Källenius
G
G
Huard
R C
RC
Ghebremichael
S
S
Asiimwe
J
J
Joloba
M L
ML
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015995:Prevalence; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology