Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients in Houston, Texas, by spoligotyping.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (n = 1,429) from 1,283 patients collected as part of an ongoing population-based tuberculosis epidemiology study in Houston, Texas, were analyzed by spoligotyping and IS6110 profiling. The isolates were also assigned to one of three major genetic groups on the basis of nucleotide polymorphisms located at codons 463 and 95 in the genes (katG and gyrA) encoding catalase-peroxidase and the A subunit of DNA gyrase, respectively. A total of 225 spoligotypes were identified in the 1,429 isolates. There were 54 spoligotypes identified among 713 isolates (n = 623 patients) assigned to 73 IS6110 clusters. In addition, among 716 isolates (n = 660 patients) with unique IS6110 profiles, 200 spoligotypes were identified. No changes were observed either in the IS6110 profile or in the spoligotype for the 281 isolates collected sequentially from 133 patients. Five instances in which isolates with slightly different spoligotypes had the same IS6110 profile were identified, suggesting that in rare cases isolates with different spoligotypes can be clonally related. Spoligotypes correlated extremely well with major genetic group designations. Only three very similar spoligotypes were shared by isolates from genetic groups 2 and 3, and none was shared by group 1 and group 2 organisms or by group 1 and group 3 organisms. All organisms belonging to genetic groups 2 and 3 failed to hybridize with spacer probes 33 to 36. Taken together, the results support the existence of three distinct genetic groups of M. tuberculosis organisms and provide new information about the relationship between IS6110 profiles, spoligotypes, and major genetic groups of M. tuberculosis.