The Molecular Approaches and Challenges of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotyping for Epidemiological Surveillance in the Vaccine Era
, , , , , and | Jun 14, 2023
Article Category: MINIREVIEW
Published Online: Jun 14, 2023
Page range: 103 - 115
Received: Jan 27, 2023
Accepted: May 09, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2023-023
Keywords
© 2023 Nurul Asyikin Abdul Rahman et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Serotyping methods with associated benefits and challenges.
| Technique | Target areas | Benefits | Drawbacks | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quellung | Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides | Straightforward High sensitivity and specificity Rapid outcomes |
Time, cost, and labor intensive Cannot detect multiple serotypes using one sample Inconvenient for larger samples Extensive skills are required |
|
| Latex agglutination | Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides | Straightforward Easy Rapid outcomes Appropriate for resource-poor conditions Needs the least expertise |
Cost-intensive Questionable accuracy Culture-negative isolate might be missed |
|
| Multiplex PCR | Glycosyltransferase gene | Economical Rapid outcomes Versatile Accurate Sensitive |
Several primers Several steps Limited serotypes supported Lack of internal control for specific serotypes Emerging NVTs remain unexploited |
|
| Sequetyping | CpsB gene | Straightforward and economical Single PCR amplification Single-step PCR Needs one primer set |
Restricted to single isolate detection Some isolates exhibit high homology of the cpsB gene across different serotypes Needs sequencing facilities or services |
|
| Real-time PCR | Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides | High sensitivity Able to replicate DNA in low copy number Serotyping from culture-negative samples No sample manipulation is needed after the amplification |
Need specialised equipment Costly PCR probes Emerging NVTs remain unexploited |
|
| PCR-RFLP | cps genes | Straightforward Fast Cost-effective Versatile Reproducible |
Needs targeted restriction enzymes Needs several restriction enzymes Cannot assess mutation type Time-intensive |
Garcia Suarez et al. 2019 |
| Whole genome sequencing (WGS) | Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides | High accuracy Greater resolution Comprehensive analysis Reduced turnaround time |
Cost-intensive Needs an advanced bioinformatic tool Requires technical expertise and skill |