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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2002, p. 2254-2256, Vol. 40, No. 6
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.6.2254-2256.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Comparison of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and PCR Analysis of Polymorphisms on the mec Hypervariable Region for Typing Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

J. P. M. Senna, C. A. Pinto, L. P. S. Carvalho, and D. S. Santos*

Group of Molecular and Functional Microbiology, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Received 18 September 2001/ Returned for modification 31 December 2001/ Accepted 21 March 2002

Two hundred fifty-four methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were tested by PCR for the mec-associated hypervariable region (HVR-PCR) to determine their number of direct repeat units (DRUs). Eight different groups of repeats were found among the MRSA strains and compared to 28 pulsotypes classified by PFGE. Some MRSA strains belonging to the same pulsotype showed different numbers of DRUs. HVR-PCR was rapid, easy to perform, and reproducible and has the ability to obtain an unambiguous positive result for each isolate analyzed. However, this technique shows a discriminatory power inferior to that of PFGE. We conclude that PFGE is a more reliable method of typing MRSA than HVR-PCR.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Campus do Vale/UFRGS, Caixa postal 15005, CEP 91501-970. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Phone: (5551) 316 6072. Fax: (5551) 316 1079. E-mail: diogenes{at}dna.cbiot.ufrgs.br.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2002, p. 2254-2256, Vol. 40, No. 6
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.6.2254-2256.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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