T serotyping and genomic profile of erythromycin-resistant or -sensitive Streptococcus pyogenes isolated in Campania Region, Italy

J Chemother. 2005 Apr;17(2):131-7. doi: 10.1179/joc.2005.17.2.131.

Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenes causes mild infections, such as pharyngitis, and severe infections, such as necrotizing fascitis. In recent years, erythromycin-resistant strains of S. pyogenes have been reported in many countries. In some areas of Italy, increased rates of erythromycin resistance were first observed in the mid-1990s. Here, we report epidemiological T serotyping, invasiveness, erythromycin resistance, and PFGE patterns of 99 S. pyogenes strains isolated at the Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology of the Second University of Naples, Italy. Regarding T serotyping, 26 of 99 strains were W+, 16 strains were U+, 16 were X+, and 14 were agglutinated by anti T serum. A low percentage revealed Y+. Twelve strains were not T serotyped. PFGE patterns showed species polymorphism; however, inside the various serotypes, we demonstrated a fair homogeneity. No correlation among invasiveness and T serotype or PFGE pattern has been shown. Twenty-two of 99 strains were erythromycin-resistant.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Erythromycin / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Pharmacogenetics
  • Phenotype
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sampling Studies
  • Serotyping
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / epidemiology
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / drug effects*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Erythromycin