Streptococcal erythrogenic toxin spe A gene detection by polymerase chain reaction in strains isolated in Albania.

The presence of gene encoding erythrogenic toxin type A (spe A) was determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to target specific sequences in 72 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes representative T type strains, which were associated with scarlet fever, impetigo, tonsillitis, isolated between the years 1980-1982 and in 1995 by carriers. Isolates showed statistically significant differences in the presence of spe A. With scarlet fever the strains had a 22.22% association, with impetigo had a 8.33% association. With tonsillitis' and with carriers had a low association, 5.55% and 6.9% respectively. The analysis of the data indicated that strains with certain T type surface antigens showed a higher (such as T-1, T-2, T-5) or lower (such as T-4, T-13, T-27) tendency to contain the spe A gene were more likely to be associated with scarlet fever and impetigo than with other types of diseases.