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Prevalence of M75 Streptococcus pyogenes Strains Harboring slaA Gene in Patients Affected by Pediatric Obstructive

Elisa Viciani1, Francesca Montagnani2, Giacinta Tordini3

  • 1GSK Vaccines S.r.l.Siena, Italy; Host-Microbiota Interaction Team, Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteCambridge, UK.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|March 16, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) strains with the slaA gene are linked to pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). A specific GAS clone (emm75/ST49) carrying slaA and smeZ was exclusively found in OSAS patients, suggesting a potential role in tonsil hypertrophy.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is linked to chronic tonsil colonization by Group A Streptococcus (GAS).
  • GAS may induce tonsil hyperplasia through streptolysin O (SLO)-dependent cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) production, promoting T and B cell proliferation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize GAS strains from pediatric OSAS patients and compare them with non-OSAS GAS strains.
  • To investigate the association of the slaA gene and specific GAS clones with pediatric OSAS.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of GAS strains isolated from OSAS and non-OSAS pediatric patients (2009-2013).
  • Detection of the slaA gene, M-types, and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) for clone characterization (emm75/ST49/smeZ, slaA).

Main Results:

  • The slaA gene, involved in CysLTs production, was significantly associated with GAS strains from OSAS patients.
  • The M75 type was the most prevalent GAS type in OSAS patients (32%), with most strains harboring slaA.
  • The emm75/ST49/smeZ, slaA clone was exclusively isolated from pediatric OSAS cases.

Conclusions:

  • An association exists between the slaA gene and GAS strains implicated in pediatric OSAS.
  • The specific GAS clone emm75/ST49/smeZ, slaA appears exclusively in OSAS patients, suggesting a potential pathogenic role in tonsil hypertrophy.

Keywords:
Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST)Streptococcus pyogenesmolecular epidemiologyobstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)slaA gene

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