title: Comparison of a variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) method for typing Mycobacterium avium with mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-VNTR and IS1245 restriction fragment length polymorphism typing.
abstract: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections are increasing annually in various countries, including Japan, but the route of transmission and pathophysiology of the infection remain unclear. Currently, a variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) typing method using the Mycobacterium avium tandem repeat (MATR) loci (MATR-VNTR) is employed in Japan for epidemiological studies using clinical isolates of M. avium. In this study, the usefulness of this MATR-VNTR typing method was compared with that of the IS1245-restriction fragment length polymorphism (IS1245-RFLP) typing method and a mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit (MIRU)-VNTR typing method reported previously (V. C. Thibault, M. Grayon, M. L. Boschiroli, C. Hubbans, P. Overduin, K. Stevenson, M. C. Gutierrez, P. Supply, and F. Biet, J. Clin. Microbiol. 45:2404-2410, 2007). Seventy clinical isolates identified as M. avium from human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients with MAC infections were used. MATR-VNTR typing using 15 loci distinguished 56 patterns of different allele profiles, yielding a Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index (HGDI) of 0.990. However, IS1245-RFLP and MIRU-VNTR typing yielded HGDIs of 0.960 and 0.949, respectively, indicating that MATR-VNTR has an excellent discriminatory power compared with MIRU-VNTR and IS1245-RFLP typing. Moreover, concomitant use of the MATR-VNTR method and IS1245-RFLP typing increased the HGDI to 0.999. MATR-VNTR typing is inexpensive and easy to perform and could thus be useful in establishing a digital multifacility database that will greatly contribute to the clarification of the transmission route and pathophysiology of M. avium infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, Aichi , Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimori
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Takami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibayama
authors.forename: Kei-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchiya
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nikai
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences; D007564:Japan; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial