Ocurrences of RDrio strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in the State of São Paulo

• Grant number: 14/06439-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date until: June 01, 2014
• End date until: December 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Ida Maria Foschiani Dias Baptista
• Grantee: Letícia Slompo
• Host Institution: Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima (ILSL). Coordenadoria de Controle de Doenças (CCD). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With the growing urbanization and globalization, the number of people infected with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacillus increases every year despite knowledge of prophylaxis and treatment of tuberculosis. Molecular studies of the M. tuberculosis genome in combination with the epidemiology allow a better understanding of risk factors in disease transmission. Alterations in the genome as insertions and deletions, called region of difference (RD), are used for distinguishing species of the M. tuberculosis complex. In Brazil, the region of difference most frequently found is the RDRio, a deletion of 26.3 kb. Some investigators have associated with the presence of RDRio changes in virulence and disease severity. However, another group of researchers identified no differences between the presence or absence of the deletion. Thus, this study aims to identify the presence or not of RDRio in strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, analyzing its implications.