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Mother-to-infant vertical transmission and cross-colonization of Streptococcus pyogenes confirmed by DNA restriction
E Bingen1, E Denamur, N Lambert-Zechovsky
1Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France.
Insights
Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis confirmed mother-to-infant transmission of Streptococcus pyogenes. DNA RFLP proved more effective than ribotyping for tracking S. pyogenes spread in a hospital setting.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Streptococcus pyogenes poses risks for mother-to-infant transmission and hospital-acquired infections.
- Accurate molecular typing methods are crucial for epidemiological investigations of bacterial spread.
Observation:
- Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of total DNA and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) regions (ribotyping) were employed.
- Two isolates from a neonate, his mother (patient 1), and two other mothers (patients 2 and 3) were analyzed.
- RFLP of total DNA revealed indistinguishable patterns for strains from the neonate, his mother, and patient 2.
Findings:
- Total DNA RFLP provided high discrimination for Streptococcus pyogenes strains.
- Ribotyping demonstrated lower discriminatory power compared to total DNA RFLP.
- Distinct RFLP patterns were observed for strains from patient 3 and unrelated control strains.
Implications:
- DNA RFLP analysis is a valuable molecular tool for Streptococcus pyogenes epidemiology.
- This method can effectively document vertical transmission and track nosocomial spread.
- Enhanced molecular surveillance can improve infection control in obstetric units.
Abstract:
Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of total DNA and of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) regions (ribotyping) were used to document Streptococcus pyogenes vertical mother-to-infant transmission and to investigate the spread of S. pyogenes in an obstetric unit. Two isolates from a newborn, two isolates from his mother (patient 1), and two isolates from two other mothers (patients 2 and 3) were studied. RFLP of total DNA, both after HindIII and PvuII digestions and ethidium bromide staining, gave indistinguishable patterns for the strains isolated from the neonate, his mother, and patient 2. Strains from patient 3 and six unrelated strains studied for comparison showed different patterns. In our system, ribotyping was less discriminative than total DNA RFLP analysis. DNA RFLP analysis therefore provides a valuable molecular tool for studying S. pyogenes epidemiology.