Diversity in Pneumococcal Capsular Genes
Author Information
Author(s): Elberse Karin, Witteveen Sandra, van der Heide Han, van de Pol Ingrid, Schot Corrie, van der Ende Arie, Berbers Guy, Schouls Leo
Primary Institution: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Hypothesis
The study aims to investigate the sequence diversity of the capsular genes of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 6 and 19 and explore the effect of vaccination on these variations.
Conclusion
The study found considerable DNA sequence variation in the capsular genes of pneumococcal serogroups 6 and 19, which may affect vaccine sensitivity.
Supporting Evidence
- Six distinct capsular subtypes were identified within serotype 6A.
- Capsular subtype 19A-I accounted for 41% of serotype 19A isolates in the pre-vaccination period.
- Shifts in capsular subtypes were observed after the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine.
Takeaway
Scientists looked at the genes that help bacteria make their protective coating and found a lot of differences, which could make some bacteria harder to fight with vaccines.
Methodology
The complete capsular gene locus was sequenced for 25 serogroup 6 and 20 serogroup 19 isolates, and allele-specific PCRs were performed on 184 serogroup 6 and 195 serogroup 19 isolates to identify capsular subtypes.
Limitations
The study's findings on capsular subtype shifts post-vaccination were not statistically significant.
Participant Demographics
Isolates were collected from patients with invasive pneumococcal disease in the Netherlands.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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