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. 2004 Jan;42(1):186-92.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.42.1.186-192.2004.

Characterization of group C and G streptococcal strains that cause streptococcal toxic shock syndrome

Shinnosuke Hashikawa  1 , Yoshitsugu Iinuma, Manabu Furushita, Teruko Ohkura, Toshi Nada, Keizo Torii, Tadao Hasegawa, Michio Ohta
Affiliations

Characterization of group C and G streptococcal strains that cause streptococcal toxic shock syndrome

Shinnosuke Hashikawa et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Jan.

Abstract

Twelve strains (the largest number ever reported) of group C and G(1) streptococci (GCS and GGS, respectively) that caused streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) were collected and characterized. Eleven strains were identified as Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, and one strain was identified as Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. We found that it was the first reported case of STSS caused by S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus. Cluster analysis according to the 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) sequences revealed that the S. dysgalactiae strains belonged to clusters I and II, both of which were closely related. The emm types and the restriction patterns of chromosomal DNA measured by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were highly variable in these strains except BL2719 and N1434. The 16S rDNA sequences and other characteristics of these two strains were indistinguishable, suggesting the clonal dissemination of this particular S. dysgalactiae strain in Japan. As the involvement of superantigens in the pathogenesis of group A streptococcus-related STSS has been suggested, we tried to detect known streptococcal superantigens in GCS and GGS strains. However, only the spegg gene was detected in seven S. dysgalactiae strains, with none of the other superantigen genes being detected in any of the strains. However, the sagA gene was detected in all of the strains except Tokyo1291. In the present study no apparent factor(s) responsible for the pathogenesis of STSS was identified, although close genetic relationships of GCS and GGS strains involved in this disease were suggested.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Phylogenetic tree of GCS and GGS strains isolated from patients with STSS. A phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rDNA sequences was constructed by the neighbor-joining method. Bootstrap analyses of 1,000 replicates were carried out using CLUSTAL W software. Each of the STSS-related strains analyzed in this study is indicated as a square. Sequences of other strains were derived from the GenBank database. Species names of reference strains S. dysgalactiae V26, A5, L7, A24, A7, L1, V24, L33, and A20 appeared in the database under the old classification and were not identified into subspecies.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
PFGE separation of SmaI-restricted fragments of the chromosomal DNA of the GCS and GGS strains.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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