Application of Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for typing sudy base on Haemophilus influenzae molecular

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to compare the molecular differences of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) strains causing meningitis in young children with H. influenzae strains causing acute upper respiratory tract infection, 44 Hib strains and 37 H. influenzae strains were analysed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with SmaI restriction enzyme. The results: 44 Hib strains were mainly distributed into 4 DNA restriction patterns (PFGE patterns) whereas 37 H. influenzae strains were distributed into 22 patterns and 81% of them were not encapsulated. The genome of Hib strains causing bacterial meningitis showed less variation than that of H. influenzae causing acute upper respiratory infection. PFGE is a useful tool for epidemiological research.