title: Screening and genotyping of group B streptococcus in pregnant and non-pregnant women in Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to investigate group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization, to compare the methods, to determine the relationship between GBS carriage and risk factors, and to genotype the GBS isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recto-vaginal swab specimens were obtained from 500 women, and a questionnaire was administered to each to assess their risk factors for GBS carriage. A culture, GBS antigen test, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed on all samples. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed, and the clonal relationship was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) on all viable isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 500 women, sixty-eight (13.6%) women were GBS carriers, of whom 9.8% were pregnant and 16.5% not. There was a significant difference between GBS carriage and history of premature rupture of membrane (PROM). GBS was isolated from 65 (13%) samples. GBS was positive in 70 (14%) samples by antigen test and in 62 (12.4%) by PCR. Sixty-eight of the 70 positive antigen tests were confirmed by PCR or culture. Fifty-five isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 16 to erythromycin and clindamycin, and 13 to levofloxacin. Thirteen different pulsotypes and 17 sporadic strains were determined by PFGE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GBS carriage rate in non-pregnant women was higher than in pregnant women. The GBS antigen test was more sensitive than culture and PCR. GBS isolates did not originate from a single clone and contained sporadic strains. There was a significant difference between GBS carriage and history of PROM. Epidemiologic data obtained in this study will help future studies.
authors.affiliation: Selcuk University, Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey. feyzaalp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Feyza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alp
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Findik
authors.forename: Hatice Turk
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Dagi
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Aybike Tazegul
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Pekin
authors.forename: Setenay Arzu
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058889:Molecular Typing; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology