Annals of Clinical Microbiology, The official Journal of the Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology

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Indexed in KCI, KoreaMed, Synapse, DOAJ
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pISSN 2288-0585 eISSN 2288-6850
Original article

Multicenter Study of Molecular Epidemiology and Antibiotic Resistance of Group A Streptococci in 2008-2009 in Korea

Eui-Chong Kim1, Eun-Ha Koh2, Sunjoo Kim2, Jung-Oak Kang3, Jae-Seok Kim4, Jeong Hwan Shin5, Nam Yong Lee6, Joseph Jeong7, Ji-Hyun Cho8 Chulhun L. Chang9, Young Ree Kim10

Department of Laboratory Madicine, 1Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, 3Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, 4Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, 5Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, 6Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 7University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, 8Wonkwang University Medical School, Iksan, 9Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, 10Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea

Corresponding to Sunjoo Kim, E-mail: sjkim8239@hanmail.net

Ann Clin Microbiol 2011;14(3):85-90. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2011.14.3.85
Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.

Abstract

Background: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is responsible for a wide spectrum of human diseases. We investigated the distribution of emm types and antibiotic resistance rates of GAS from clinical specimens in several Korean medical centers.

Methods: A total of 192 strains of GAS from throat, blood, and other specimens collected in Seoul, Busan, Ulsan, Iksan, and Jeju were studied in 2008- 2009. The emm genotypes were identified using PCR and sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method. Phenotypes of macrolide resistance were evaluated, and macrolide resistance genes were determined by PCR.

Results: The emm89 (33.9%) was most frequently detected, followed by emm1 (12.5%), emm12 (8.3%), emm4 (7.8%), and emm75 (7.3%). The distribution of emm types did not show a close relation to the type of specimen and was different for each area. The resistance rates to erythromycin (ERY) and clindamycin (CLI) were 4.6% and 3.7%, respectively. Among the nine ERY-resistant strains, the rate of constitutive resistance was 88.9%, compared with 11.1% for the M phenotype. Five of the ERY-resistant strains were emm28.

Conclusion: This multicenter study reveals heterogenous emm genotypes by geographic area. Rates of resistance to ERY and CLI were low, and most of the ERY-resistant strains showed a constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (cMLSB) phenotype. (Korean J Clin Microbiol 2011;14:85-90)

Keywords

Group A streptococcus, Streptococcus pyogenes, emm gene, Erythromycin resistance