Simplified MLST scheme for direct typing of Leptospira human clinical samples

VARNI VANINA; CHIANI YOSENA; NAGEL ARIEL; RUYBAL PAULA; VANASCO BIBIANA; CAIMI KARINA

Pathogens and Global Health

Taylor & Francis Online

Año: 2018

2047-7724

BACKGROUNDLeptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonosis. Epidemiological data are scarce and present major challenge in most settings because of the varied clinical presentations, difficult diagnosis, and complex transmission cycle of the disease. In this context, Multilocus Sequence Typing has already proven to be a robust molecular typing method providing accurate results for strain characterization. OBJECTIVEIn this study, we adapted our MLST scheme by reducing the set of loci in order to facilitate Leptospira typing directly from human clinical samples. FINDINGSThe application of this 3-locus scheme provides Leptospira species and allelic profiles of the samples retaining the power of discrimination of the whole scheme. Moreover, an approach to the serogroups in the samples was achieved. MAIN CONCLUSIONSOur results may contribute to the epidemiological study of Leptospirosis, since the direct typing on clinical specimens could detect and update allelic variants and serogroups present in a region. The development of a simplified scheme that allows at the same time to take advantage of limited genetic material available in clinical samples without losing the power of discrimination achieved by the whole scheme, may increase the sources of information for epidemiological monitoring.