Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2009 Jul;47(7):2226-31.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.02362-08. Epub 2009 May 13.

Comparison of two multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis methods for molecular strain typing of human Brucella melitensis isolates from the Middle East

Rebekah V Tiller  1 , Barun K De, Marie Boshra, Lynn Y Huynh, Matthew N Van Ert, David M Wagner, John Klena, T S Mohsen, S S El-Shafie, Paul Keim, Alex R Hoffmaster, Patricia P Wilkins, Guillermo Pimentel
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of two multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis methods for molecular strain typing of human Brucella melitensis isolates from the Middle East

Rebekah V Tiller et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Jul.

Abstract

Brucella species are highly monomorphic, with minimal genetic variation among species, hindering the development of reliable subtyping tools for epidemiologic and phylogenetic analyses. Our objective was to compare two distinct multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) subtyping methods on a collection of 101 Brucella melitensis isolates from sporadic human cases of brucellosis in Egypt (n = 83), Qatar (n = 17), and Libya (n = 1). A gel-based MLVA technique, MLVA-15(IGM), was compared to an automated capillary electrophoresis-based method, MLVA-15(NAU), with each MLVA scheme examining a unique set of variable-number tandem repeats. Both the MLVA(IGM) and MLVA(NAU) methods were highly discriminatory, resolving 99 and 101 distinct genotypes, respectively, and were able to largely separate genotypes from Egypt and Qatar. The MLVA-15(NAU) scheme presented higher strain-to-strain diversity in our test population than that observed with the MLVA-15(IGM) assay. Both schemes were able to genetically correlate some strains originating from the same hospital or region within a country. In addition to comparing the genotyping abilities of these two schemes, we also compared the usability, limitations, and advantages of the two MLVA systems and their applications in the epidemiological genotyping of human B. melitensis strains.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
UPGMA analysis of 101 human B. melitensis isolates examined by the MLVA-15NAU scheme. Isolate designations indicate the country of origin (E, Egypt; Q, Qatar; L, Libya), followed by the location within the country (ABS, Abbassia; ALX, Alexandria; ASW, Aswan; AST, Assiut; BEN, Benha; FAY, Fayoum; MAL, Mahalla; PRS, Port Said; QEN, Qena; SHB, Shebin; SOH, Sohag; ZAG, Zagazig).
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
UPGMA analysis of 101 human B. melitensis isolates examined by the MLVA-15IGM scheme. For isolate designations, see the legend to Fig. 1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Afifi, S., K. Earhart, M. A. Azab, F. G. Youssef, H. El Sakka, M. Wasfy, H. Mansour, S. El Oun, M. Rakha, and F. Mahoney. 2005. Hospital-based surveillance for acute febrile illness in Egypt: a focus on community-acquired bloodstream infections. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 73392-399. - PubMed
    1. Afifi, S., M. O. Wasfy, M. A. Azab, F. G. Youssef, G. Pimentel, T. W. Graham, H. Mansour, N. Elsayed, K. Earhart, R. Hajjeh, and F. Mahoney. 2007. Laboratory-based surveillance of patients with bacterial meningitis in Egypt (1998-2004). Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 26331-340. - PubMed
    1. Al Dahouk, S., P. L. Fleche, K. Nockler, I. Jacques, M. Grayon, H. C. Scholz, H. Tomaso, G. Vergnaud, and H. Neubauer. 2007. Evaluation of Brucella MLVA typing for human brucellosis. J. Microbiol. Methods 69137-145. - PubMed
    1. Alton, G. G., L. M. Jones, and D. E. Pietz. 1975. Laboratory techniques in brucellosis. Monogr. Ser. World Health Organ. 19751-163. - PubMed
    1. Bikandi, J., R. San Millán, A. Rementeria, and J. Garaizar. 2004. In silico analysis of complete bacterial genomes: PCR, AFLP-PCR and endonuclease restriction. Bioinformatics 20798-799. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources