PCR DETECTION OF STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE DNA FROM NASOPHARYNX OF THE PATIENTS WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION

Causing pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, and otitis media often in young children and elderly adults, streptococcus pneumoniae is considered as not only an aggressive pathogen but a normal part of the human respiratory microbiome, as well. To identify S. pneumoniae, some methods which are mostly culture-based are usually used. In general, occasionally being validated by DNA-based methods, culture-based detection methods depend on optochin susceptibility, agglutination, and bile-solubility. In the current study, a total number of 93 nasopharyngeal samples were collected from patients with acute respiratory infection. Isolates of S. pneumoniae were confirmed by α-hemolysis of colonies appeared, optochin sensitivity, and bile solubility. The presence of ply gene was also discovered by PCR. 7 (7.53%) isolates among 93 nasopharyngeal samples were confirmed as S. pneumoniae by all of phenotypic tests, while the PCR assay revealed that 19 isolates (20.43%) were positive for virulence gene, ply. The present study found out the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae should be based on phenotypic tests and at least a molecular method such as PCR. Keywords: PCR, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Ply, Nasopharynx