Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from the first clinical sample from patients with invasive aspergillosis

The genotypes of 50 isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus from 11 patients with invasive aspergillosis, obtained from three hospitals in different geograp hical areas, were determined by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), T he study analysed the genetic polymorphism of multiple isolates from the fi rst sample, Seven of the 14 enzymic loci studied were polymorphic, giving r ise to eight different electrophoretic types. For nine of 11 patients studi ed, no polymorphism was observed in isolates within the first clinical samp le. Analysis of genetic distance between electrophoretic types demonstrated a genetic heterogeneity within each geographical site, Moreover, some geno types were preferentially found in a given area and this revealed a populat ion structure within these geographical sites. Therefore, the epidemiology of A. fumigatus should be considered separately for each of these areas, Th e multiple discriminatory markers of MLEE seem to provide a powerful tool f or increasing the understanding of the biology of this fungus.