OBJECTIVETo analyze the prevalence of super-antigens (SAgs) of group A streptococcus (GAS)isolated from Beijing pediatric patients in 2011, and to explore the relationship between emm types, characteristics of patients and SAgs.

METHODSA total of 635 isolates of GAS were collected from children in 36 hospitals in Beijing from May to July, 2011. Thirteen currently known SAg genes were tested by real-time PCR, and emm gene was performed by PCR and sequencing of N-terminal gene fragments of M protein.

RESULTSPrevalence rates of 13 SAg genes speA, speB, speC, speF, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ, ssa were 22.4%, 100.0%, 99.4%, 99.7%, 99.7%, 76.4%, 76.2%, 21.7%,0.6%, 1.1%, 2.2%, 99.7% and 98.0%, respectively. A total of 26 SAgs profiles were observed according to the SAgs inclusion. There were significant differences in frequencies of speA, speH, speI and speJ between emm1 and emm12 strains (P < 0.05). In isolates from patients with pharyngeal infection, the prevalence rates for speK and speL were higher while the frequency for ssa was lower than that from scarlet fever cases (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe frequencies of speB, speF, smeZ, speG, speC, and ssa were high among strains isolated while speM, speL and speK were relatively low from children in Beijing, 2011. SAg genes appeared to be associated with the emm types. In this study, differences of frequency for speA and speC from strains collected from patients with scarlet fever and pharyngeal infection had not been found.