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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2003, p. 1525-1528, Vol. 41, No. 4
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.4.1525-1528.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of Finnish Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates by Spoligotyping

Kirsi Puustinen,¹ Merja Marjamäki,¹ Nalin Rastogi,² Christophe Sola,² Ingrid Filliol,² Petri Ruutu,³ Pekka Holmström,³ Matti K. Viljanen,^1,4 and Hanna Soini^1*

Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory, National Public Health Institute,¹ Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Turku, Turku,⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland,³ Unité de la Tuberculose et des Mycobactéries, Institut Pasteur, Pointe-à-Pitre Cedex, Guadeloupe²

Received 21 October 2002/ Returned for modification 16 December 2002/ Accepted 22 December 2002

The molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in Finland was studied by spoligotyping 380 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. The isolates were obtained during a 1-year study period from July 2000 to June 2001 and represented 90% of new M. tuberculosis findings by culture in the whole country during the study period. The spoligotyping results were compared to the World Spoligotyping Database of the Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, which contains data from >14,000 M. tuberculosis isolates obtained worldwide. A total of 138 different spoligotypes were identified among the 380 M. tuberculosis isolates. Thirty-eight (10%) isolates had unique spoligotypes, while 342 (90%) isolates belonged to 100 shared types. The four most common spoligotypes caused approximately one-third of the Finnish TB cases. Forty-seven of the 138 (34.1%) spoligotypes and 61 (16.1%) of the 380 M. tuberculosis isolates had spoligotypes that had not been previously reported. Only four (1.1%) patients were infected with an isolate belonging to the Beijing genotype. The characterization of Finnish M. tuberculosis isolates by spoligotyping shows that ubiquitous spoligotypes were common, but many spoligotypes specific to Finland were also found. However, Beijing family isolates were rarely encountered, although this spoligotype is predominant in our eastern and southern neighbors.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520 Turku, Finland. Phone: 358-2-251-9255. Fax: 358-2-251-9254. E-mail: hanna.soini{at}ktl.fi.

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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2003, p. 1525-1528, Vol. 41, No. 4
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.4.1525-1528.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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