RESUMO
Objective To develop a molecular method to type coagulase-negative staphylococci(CNS) using 16S～23S internal transcribed spacer-PCR(ITS-PCR)Methods ITS-PCR was performed to identify six control strains and a collection of 171 clinical strains, identified as CNS by AutoScan-4 System The API Staph system also tested the discrepant strainsResults A total of 11 CNS species from control strains and clinical ones confirmed by the API Staph system were resolved by their unique ITS-PCR patterns These results constructed the primary database of CNS in the laboratory They were obtained with Staphylococcusepidermidis, Shaemolyticus, Shominis, Ssaprophyticus, Sxylosus, Swarneri, Scapitis, Scohhni subspurealyticum,S sciuri, Sauricular, Ssimulans Only S sciuri showed intraspecific polymorphism on its ITS-PCR pattern 9357%(160/171) clinical isolates can be identified by this ITS-PCR data base and the accuracy is 9375%(150/160) The coincidence of the API Staph system and ITS-PCR was better than that of AutoScan-4 system results There is at lest 936%(16/171) CNS results from AutoScan-4 system are falseConclusion ITS-PCR is verified as a valuable, easy to perform, rapid, high reliable and low cost molecular typing method for coagulase negative staphylococci