Application of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) for the epidemiological study of an outbreak of Candida albicans septicemia in neonatal intensive care units.
- Author:
Kyeong Seob SHIN
1
;
Seung Bok HONG
;
Hyeong Sik SHIN
;
Bum Su PARK
;
Bo Ra SON
Author Information
1. Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheong ju, Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
RAPD;
Candida albicans;
genotyping;
nosocomial infection
- MeSH:
Candida albicans*;
Candida*;
Chungcheongbuk-do;
Cross Infection;
DNA*;
Epidemiologic Studies*;
Fungi;
Genotype;
Humans;
Immunocompromised Host;
Infant, Newborn;
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal*;
Intensive Care, Neonatal*;
Molecular Epidemiology;
Sepsis*
- From:Korean Journal of Clinical Pathology
1999;19(4):440-445
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The opportunistic imperfect fungus Candida albicans causing life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients is recognized to be one of important nosocomial pathogens. Recently, an outbreak of septicemia caused by C. albicans was occured in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Chungbuk university hospital. To investigate the molecular epidemiology of these infections, we analyzed genotypes of C. albicans isolates from NICU and non-NICU. METHODS: Fourteen isolates of C. albicans were used for intraspecies genotyping, which were composed of 9 isolates from NICU and 5 isolates from non-NICU from January to April 1998. Each three isolates of C. albicans, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis were used for interspecies genotyping. The genotyping were analyzed by RAPD with four random primers. RESULTS: The genotypes of C. albicans isolates from immature neonates in NICU were identical with those from medical persons in NICU but different with those from patients in non-NICU. Interspecies RAPD profiles were more distinctive than intraspecies RAPD profiles. The reproducibility of RAPD showed good result. CONCLUSION: These results show that C. albicans isolated from NICU disclose the same RAPD genotype, which suggests the clonal origin, and RAPD can be the useful method for the epidemiological study of nosocomial infection caused by C.albicans.
