Genetic heterogeneity of group b streptococci isolated from Romanian pregnant women.
Although testing for group B streptococcus (GBS) carriage is mandatory during pregnancy, the laboratory data regarding the characteristics of GBS circulating strains among Romanian female population are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of 39 GBS isolates originating from the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women. All the isolates were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin, whereas 18% of them were resistant to either erythromycin or erythromycin and clindamycin. Serotyping based on capsular polysaccharide antigens revealed eleven isolates of type III (28%), seven of type II (18%), six of type la (15%), six of type Ib (15%), six of type IV (15%), and three of type V (8%), respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of the Smal macrorestriction DNA fragments yielded 39 PFGE distinct profiles for the studied isolates. Computer-assisted cluster analysis of the band profiles, using unweighted-pair group method and Dice similarity coefficient, showed that at a minimum of 80% similarity, the GBS isolates gathered into 25 pulsotypes, irrespective of their serotype. Our results provided information about the genomic heterogeneity of GBS isolates circulating in our area, supporting the benefit of using PFGE as an adjunct to conventional typing methods for future epidemiological studies.
Codruţa-Romaniţa
Usein
U
Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Research-Development for Microbiology and Immunology Cantacuzino, Bucharest, Romania. rusein@cantacuzino.ro
Mariana-Silvia
Creţoiu
C
Vasilica
Ungureanu
U
Maria
Ghiţă
G
Anca
Petrini
P
Monica
Străuţ
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
D004269:DNA, Bacterial