title: Heterogeneity of Iranian clinical isolates of Mycobacterium fortuitum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The increase of infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is receiving increasing attention worldwide. Mycobacterium fortuitum is encountered with increasing frequency in clinical laboratories of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sequence variation of 48 M. fortuitum clinical isolates, were investigated by sequence analysis of the 16S-23S Internal Transcribed Spacer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve different sequence types (sequevar) were identified by sequence analysis of ITS region. Seven previously described sequevar including MfoA, MfoB, MfoC, MfoD, MfoE, MfoF and MfoG identified. Five novel sequevar namely MfoH, MfoI, MfoJ, MfoK and MfoL that were distinctly different from the previously described sequevar were detected among different clinical strains of M. fortuitum, from Iran.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that the ITS region possesses high discriminatory power between the clinical isolates up to the clonal level. The results also suggest the possibility of the existence of predominant clone of M. fortuitum in affected patients in Iran. The data also point to the conclusion that a large variety of M. fortuitum clone can produce disease although certain clones seem to be predominant.
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolrazagh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hashemi-Shahraki
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Parvin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heidarieh
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biranvand
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Islamic Azad University-Parand Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed Zaker
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Bostanabad
authors.affiliation: Masoud Laboratory, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sheikhi
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemzadeh
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Masume
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Feizabadi
keywords: ITS; Mycobacterium fortuitum; diversity