title: Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes collected between 2005 and 2008 from Chinese children.
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of Streptococcus pyogenes in children from different cities in mainland China who were diagnosed with scarlet fever, impetigo and pharyngitis, as well as to detect asymptomatic carriers, between 2005 and 2008, and to compare the results with isolates from rural Chinese children with acute glomerulonephritis in 2005 and in the 1990s. Susceptibility tests to determine MICs and analysis of the presence of erythromycin-resistant genes (mefA, ermB and ermA) and emm gene typing were performed on 466 S. pyogenes isolates from Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenzhen. Superantigen genes (speA and speC) were examined by performing PCR on isolates with the most prevalent emm genotype. All isolates were sensitive to penicillin, cefradine and ofloxacin. The highest rate of resistance was against clarithromycin (98.1 %), followed by erythromycin (97.6 %), azithromycin and clindamycin (both 97.2 %), and tetracycline (94.0 %). Among the 466 isolates, 421 (90.3 %) harboured the ermB gene, 145 (31.1 %) were speA-positive and 273 (58.6 %) were speC-positive. The speA gene was common in emm1.0 (88.8 %) and emm6.5 (83.3 %) genotypes. The speC gene was frequently observed in emm4.0 (90.0 %), emm12.0 (69.6 %), emm18.0 (66.7 %), emm22.0 (75.9 %) and emm80.0 (80.0 %) genotypes. The most prevalent emm genotypes in mainland China in recent years were emm1.0 and emm12.0. All isolates remained sensitive to β-lactams and quinolone.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, PR China.|Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Yunmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, PR China.|Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Hesheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Chongqing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400015, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuejie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Libo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, PR China.
authors.forename: Chengrong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Sangjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Kaihu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuzhuang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100045, PR China.
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007169:Impetigo / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058889:Molecular Typing; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012541:Scarlet Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C014689:streptococcal M protein