title: Evaluation of the genetic diversity of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum isolates from north-eastern Brazil.
abstract: Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of histoplasmosis cases in Ceará, a state in north-east Brazil. The lack of epidemiological data on the genotypes circulating in the north-east region shows the importance of more detailed studies on the molecular epidemiology of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum in this region. Different molecular techniques have been used to better characterize the genetic profile of H. capsulatum var. capsulatum strains. The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic diversity of H. capsulatum var. capsulatum isolates in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará, through the sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1-5.8S-ITS2 region, and establish the molecular profile of these isolates, along with strains from south-east Brazil, by RAPD analysis, featuring the different clusters in those regions. The isolates were grouped into two clusters. Cluster 1 included strains from the south-east and north-east regions with separation of isolates into three distinct subgroups (subgroups 1a, 1b and 1c). Cluster 2 included only samples from north-east Brazil. Sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region allowed the detection of two major clades, which showed geographical correlation between them and their subgroups. Therefore, it can be concluded that the H. capsulatum var. capsulatum isolates from Ceará have a high degree of genetic polymorphism. The molecular data also confirm that populations of this fungus are composed of different genotypes in Brazil and worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raimunda S N
authors.initials: RSN
authors.lastname: Brilhante
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joyce F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rita A C
authors.initials: RAC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora S C M
authors.initials: DSCM
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Martins
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: São José Hospital, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jacó R L
authors.initials: JRL
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thalles Barbosa
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Grangeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Zoilo P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: de Camargo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rossana A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Veterinary Sciences, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.|Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos F G
authors.initials: MFG
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Post-Graduation Program in Medical Microbiology, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: José J C
authors.initials: JJC
authors.lastname: Sidrim
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000032:analysis; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021901:DNA, Intergenic