High genetic heterogeneity of Mycobacterium intracellulare isolated from respiratory specimens

BMC Microbiol. 2022 Jan 3;22(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s12866-021-02426-5.

Abstract

Background: M. intracellulare is a frequent causative pathogen of nontuberculous mycobacteria infection that causes infections in the respiratory tract, whose incidence is increasing in many countries. This study aimed at determining the VNTR-based genetic diversity of a collection of 39 M. intracellulare human strains isolated from respiratory specimens over the last 5 years.

Results: The VNTR analysis showed that M. intracellulare strains displayed a high genetic diversity, indicating that the M. intracellulare genotypes are quite heterogeneous in our geographical area. Moreover, a comparison with VNTR profiles of strains from other countries confirmed that genotypes of clinical strains of M. intracellulare are not related to geographical origin.

Conclusions: VNTR typing has proved to be a highly discriminatory method for better understanding the molecular epidemiology of M. intracellulare.

Keywords: Molecular typing; Mycobacterium intracellulare; VNTR analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Genetic Variation
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Minisatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Typing
  • Mycobacterium avium Complex / classification
  • Mycobacterium avium Complex / genetics*
  • Mycobacterium avium Complex / isolation & purification
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / epidemiology
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / microbiology*
  • Respiratory System / microbiology*