title: Molecular Characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolates From Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women at Yazd University Hospital, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B streptococcus, GBS) that colonize the vaginas of pregnant women may occasionally cause neonatal infections. It is one of the most common causes of sepsis and meningitis in neonates and of invasive diseases in pregnant women. It can also cause infectious disease among immunocompromised individuals. The distribution of capsular serotypes and genotypes varies over time and by geographic era. The serotyping and genotyping data of GBS in Iranian pregnant and non-pregnant women seems very limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the GBS ‎molecular capsular serotype ‎and genotype distribution of pregnant and non-pregnant carrier ‎women at Yazd university hospital, in Iran.‎.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, a total of 100 GBS strains isolated from 237 pregnant and 413 non-pregnant women were investigated for molecular capsular serotypes and surface protein genes using the multiplex PCR assay. The Chi-square method was used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 650 samples, 100 (15.4%) were identified as GBS, with a predominance of capsular serotypes III (50%) [III-1 (49), III-3 (1)], followed by II (25%), Ia (12%), V (11%), and Ib (2%), which was similar with another study conducted in Tehran, Iran, but they had no serotype Ia in their report. The surface protein antigen genes distribution was rib (53%), epsilon (38%), alp2/3 (6%), and alpha-c (3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The determination of serotype and surface proteins of GBS strains distribution would ‎be ‎relevant ‎for the future possible formulation of a GBS vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Firouzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Abdollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derakhshandeh
authors.affiliation: School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagher Khalili
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR-Pathology West, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: Fanrong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudinha
keywords: Genotyping Techniques; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Streptococcus agalactiae