Vijayakumar Ramaraj1, Rajyoganandh S Vijayaraman1, Elangovan Elavarashi2, Sudha Rangarajan3, Anupma Jyoti Kindo4. 1. Scholar, Department of Microbiology, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, SRU, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. 2. Lecturer, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Technology and Research, SRU, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. 3. Professor, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, SRU, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. 4. Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, SRU, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Dermatophytes are a group of fungi which infect keratinized tissues and causes superficial mycoses in humans and animals. The group comprises of three major genera, Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. Among them Trichophyton rubrum is a predominant anthropophilic fungi which causes chronic infections. Although, the infection is superficial and treatable, reinfection/coinfection causes inflation in the treatment cost. Identifying the source and mode of transmission is essential to prevent its transmission. Accurate discrimination is required to understand the clinical (relapse or reinfection) and epidemiological implications of the genetic heterogeneity of this species. Polymorphism in the Non Transcribed Spacer (NTS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clusters renders an effective way to discriminate strains among T. rubrum. AIM: To carry out the strain typing of the clinical isolates, Trichophyton rubrum using NTS as a molecular marker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy T.rubrum clinical isolates obtained from April-2011-March 2013, from Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, were identified by conventional phenotypic methods and included in this prospective study. The isolates were then subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting two subrepeat elements (SREs), TRS-1 and TRS-2 of the NTS region. RESULTS: Strain-specific polymorphism was observed in both subrepeat loci. Total, nine different strains were obtained on combining both TRS-1 and TRS-2, SREs. CONCLUSION: The outcome has given a strong representation for using NTS region amplification in discriminating the T. rubrum clinical isolates. The method can be adapted as a tool for conducting epidemiology and population based study in T. rubrum infections. This will help in future exploration of the epidemiology of T. rubrum.
INTRODUCTION: Dermatophytes are a group of fungi which infect keratinized tissues and causes superficial mycoses in humans and animals. The group comprises of three major genera, Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. Among them Trichophyton rubrum is a predominant anthropophilic fungi which causes chronic infections. Although, the infection is superficial and treatable, reinfection/coinfection causes inflation in the treatment cost. Identifying the source and mode of transmission is essential to prevent its transmission. Accurate discrimination is required to understand the clinical (relapse or reinfection) and epidemiological implications of the genetic heterogeneity of this species. Polymorphism in the Non Transcribed Spacer (NTS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clusters renders an effective way to discriminate strains among T. rubrum. AIM: To carry out the strain typing of the clinical isolates, Trichophyton rubrum using NTS as a molecular marker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy T.rubrum clinical isolates obtained from April-2011-March 2013, from Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, were identified by conventional phenotypic methods and included in this prospective study. The isolates were then subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting two subrepeat elements (SREs), TRS-1 and TRS-2 of the NTS region. RESULTS: Strain-specific polymorphism was observed in both subrepeat loci. Total, nine different strains were obtained on combining both TRS-1 and TRS-2, SREs. CONCLUSION: The outcome has given a strong representation for using NTS region amplification in discriminating the T. rubrum clinical isolates. The method can be adapted as a tool for conducting epidemiology and population based study in T. rubrum infections. This will help in future exploration of the epidemiology of T. rubrum.
Authors: A Hryncewicz-Gwóźdź; T Jagielski; A Dobrowolska; J C Szepietowski; E Baran Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2011-03-18 Impact factor: 3.267