title: [Study on genotype and virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii clinical isolates in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the species, genotypes and mating types of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolated from clinical samples in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 Cryptococcus strains were isolated from clinical samples in Guigang from 2009 to 2012. The biological identification was conducted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. The serotypes and mating types of C. neoformans and C. gattii were identified by PCR with serotype-specific and mating type-specific primers. The genotype was characterized by PCR fingerprinting and URA5 gene restriction fragment length polymorphism (URA5-RFLP). Phenotype study included growth test at 37 °C, melanin production test and urease test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 20 strains, 19 (95%) were identified as C. neoformans varieties (var.) grubii (serotype A, mating type α, genotype VN I), and only 1 was identified as C. gattii (mating type α, genotype VG I). The results of virulence test showed that all the strains grew well at 37 °C and positive in both urease test and melanin production test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A, genotype VN I and mating type α) was the predominant pathogen causing cryptococcosis in Guigang, and C. gattii strain was also detected.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Funing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Shuanbao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Che
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Wenge
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Zhujun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Bingqing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China; Email: lujinxing@icdc.cn.
authors.forename: Jinxing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014774:Virulence