The most predominant spoligopatterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates among Iranian, Afghan-immigrant, Pakistani and Turkish tuberculosis patients: a comparative analysis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to identify prevalent spoligopatterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains within Iran and its neighboring countries.


METHODS
The spacer oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping) was performed on 1,742 MTB strains isolated from Iranian and Afghan patients. Subsequently, these results were compared with published results of Pakistan and Turkey.


RESULTS
Based on the international spoligotyping database T, Central Asian Strain (CAS), East African-Indian and Latin American and Mediterranean families were prevalent in the region. T was dominant amongIranian (32.3%) and Turkish (36.5%), whereas CAS was more prevalent among Pakistani (61.3%) and Afghan-immigrant (27.4%) TB patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of strains isolated from Pakistan and Afghanistan belonged to ancient MTB genotypes (principal genetic group, PGG, I). In contrast, in Turkey there was prevalence of modern TB (PGG II and III), whereas in Iran, the prevalence of ancient and modern TB was almost equal. Therefore, Iran may be considered as the connecting geographical location between ancient and modern TB.
Merza
Muayad A
MA
Mycobacteriology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. muayadfaily@yahoo.com
Farnia
Parissa
P
Salih
Ahmad M
AM
Masjedi
Mohammad Reza
MR
Velayati
Ali Akbar
AA
D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000235:genetics*; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D009841:Oligonucleotides