[Establishment and application of PCR method in serotyping of Streptococcus pneumonia.].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a method based on PCR for serotyping of Streptococcus pneumonia isolates. PCR serotyping method was applied for investigating the serotypes of S. pneumonia strains.


METHODS
12 pairs of primers targeting different serotypes of S. pneumonia were designed and synthesized. After optimizing the PCR amplification reaction, sensitivity and specificity of each pair was performed. We applied the PCR methods for testing the serotypes of the isolated S. pneumonia strains.


RESULTS
Each pair of primers showed satisfied PCR sensitivity and specificity. Of all 119 S. pneumonia strains tested by PCR serotyping method, 113 isolates were identified (3, 5, 6A/B, 9A/V, 14, 18, 19A, 19F, 23F) with 6 isolates were unable to be serotyped.


CONCLUSIONS
We developed a simple, reliable and economic method for S. pneumonia serotyping which could be used for testing the serotypes of S. pneumonia that had been prevailed among general population.
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Ma-chao
MC
Li
Li
L
Zhang
Qian
Q
Li
Hong-yu
HY
Ren
Xiao-lei
XL
Wang
Li
L
Xu
Zhu-jun
ZJ
Shao
D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*