[The use of the polymerase chain reaction method in studying the causative agents of diphtherial infection].

A method for identification of genomic polymorphism of strains belonging to different biovars Corynebacterium diphtheriae has been described. The method is based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using universal inter-species oligonucleotide primer N 45. Using this method 17 strains of C. diphtheria, isolated in the western region of Ukraine during epidemic activity in 1992, were studied. The study has shown high similarity of PCR patterns of toxicogenic and non-toxicogenic strains of both mitis and gravis biovars. It is supposed that the method will be used in molecular epidemiology to identify new pathogenic isolates from different regions and countries.