Multilocus sequence typing of serially collected isolates of Cryptococcus from HIV-infected patients in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Patients with cryptococcal meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa frequently relapse following treatment. The natural history and etiology of these recurrent episodes warrant investigation. Here, we used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to compare the molecular genotypes of strains of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolated from serial episodes of cryptococcal meningitis that were separated by at least 110 days. The most common MLST genotypes among the isolates were the dominant global clinical genotypes (M5 and M4) of molecular type VNI, as well as the VNI genotypes apparently restricted to southern Africa. In addition, there was considerable genetic diversity among these South African isolates, as 15% of the patients had unique genotypes. Eleven percent of the patients were r

SUBMITTER: Van Wyk M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4042789 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature