Abstract
Histoplasmosis is considered the most important systemic mycosis in Mexico, and its diagnosis requires fast and reliable methodologies. The present study evaluated the usefulness of PCR using Hcp100 and 1281–1283(220) molecular markers in detecting Histoplasma capsulatum in occupational and recreational outbreaks. Seven clinical serum samples of infected individuals from three different histoplasmosis outbreaks were processed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to titre anti-H. capsulatum antibodies and to extract DNA. Fourteen environmental samples were also processed for H. capsulatum isolation and DNA extraction. Both clinical and environmental DNA samples were analysed by PCR with Hcp100 and 1281–1283(220) markers. Antibodies to H. capsulatum were detected by ELISA in all serum samples using specific antigens, and in six of these samples, the PCR products of both molecular markers were amplified. Four environmental samples amplified one of the two markers, but only one sample amplified both markers and an isolate of H. capsulatum was cultured from this sample. All PCR products were sequenced, and the sequences for each marker were analysed using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTn), which revealed 95–98 and 98–100 % similarities with the reference sequences deposited in the GenBank for Hcp100 and 1281–1283(220), respectively. Both molecular markers proved to be useful in studying histoplasmosis outbreaks because they are matched for pathogen detection in either clinical or environmental samples.
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Animal manipulations were in accordance with the suggestions of the Ethics Committee of the School of Medicine, UNAM, and following the recommendations of the Animal Care and Use Committee of the UNAM and the Mexican Official Guide (NOM 062-ZOO-1999).
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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Maria Lucia Taylor and María del Rocío Reyes-Montes were equally involved in the design and coordination of this study, as well as in the writing of this manuscript.
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Frías-De-León, M.G., Ramírez-Bárcenas, J.A., Rodríguez-Arellanes, G. et al. Usefulness of molecular markers in the diagnosis of occupational and recreational histoplasmosis outbreaks. Folia Microbiol 62, 111–116 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-016-0477-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-016-0477-4