Potential utility of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction endonuclease assay (REA) as typing systems for Madurella mycetomatis.

Two molecular methods were compared, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction endonuclease analysis (REA), in order to evaluate their ability to discriminate, and to characterize Madurella mycetomatis strains isolated from human mycetomas in different parts of the world. Both methods were able to cluster the Madurella mycetomatis isolates into the same number of distinct typing groups. However, RAPD, presenting several advantages over REA such as its rapidity, simplicity, and the accessibility for implementation in the laboratory, is a more sensitive and reproducible tool for the study of Madurella mycetomatis epidemiology than REA.