Molecular Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from Turkey

Abstract

To survey the circulating strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Turkey, all clinical isolates (381 patients) recovered in laboratories in six cities during one-month periods were collected and typed by IS6110-DNA fingerprinting and spoligotyping. Drug susceptibilities were also determined. About 23% of the isolates were resistant to one or more drugs and about 4% were multidrug resistant (i.e., resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin). IS6110-DNA fingerprints and spoligotypes were obtained from 368 and 374 strains, respectively. Of the 374 isolates spoligotyped, 87 (23%) displayed unique spoligotypes and 287 (77%) displayed one of 34 spoligotypes (2-77 isolates per pattern). The clustered spoligotypes included ones that matched spoligotypes of the T (37% of isolates), LAM (20%), Haarlem (8%) and Beijing (2%) families. Of the 368 isolates IS6110-typed, 232 (63%) displayed unique IS6110-fingerprint patterns and 136 (37%) displayed one of 35 patterns (2-34 isolates per pattern). When IS6110 fingerprinting and spoligotyping information were combined for the 381 isolates tested, 273 isolates (72%) displayed unique genotypes and 108 isolates (28%) displayed one of 34 genotypes (2-24 isolates per genotype). In summary, many different strains are circulating in Turkey with no single strain appearing to be dominant as has been observed in other areas of the world with high tuberculosis incidence.

Molecular Diversity of Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Strains in Western Turkey

“…In spoligotyping studies carried out in our country, the clustering rate ranges between 67-85% (6,8,(13)(14)(15)(16). This rate is unrealistically high.…”

The Most Predominant Spoligopatterns of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Isolates among Iranian, Afghan-Immigrant, Pakistani and Turkish Tuberculosis Patients: A Comparative Analysis

“…Categorical data in each group (Iranian and Afghan TB cases) were compared by 2 test or Fisher's exact test. Subsequently, the results of Iranian and Afghan-immigrant TB patients were compared with published results of Pakistan and Turkey [16,17] . Based on Sreevatsan et al [24] , MTB genotypes are classified into three principal genetic groups (PGG).…”

“…Six (6.5%) and 5 (14.7%) MTB orphan types were recovered from extrapulmonary specimens among Iranian and Afghan cases, respectively. [16] and Turkish [17] TB Cases Four families, i.e. T, CAS, EAI and LAM, were prevalent in the region.…”

“…Although the prevailing spoligopatterns have been reported in Iran, Afghan-immigrant, Pakistani and Turkish TB patients [15][16][17] , the relationships among circulating strains in the region have not been fully elucidated. In regard to the incidence rates of TB in 2007, Iran and Turkey have nearly similar incidence rates of TB, 22 and 30 per 100,000, respectively, whereas Pakistan and Afghanistan are among the countries with high-TB burden, with estimated incidence rates of 168 and 181 per 100,000, respectively [1] .…”

“…To achieve this, we identified the spoligopatterns among Iranian and Afghan-immigrant TB patients and compared the results to the reported spoligotypes of Pakistan and Turkey [16,17] …”