Molecular typing of cytotoxin-producing Klebsiella oxytoca isolates by 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer PCR

Cytotoxin is one of the important pathogenic factors, which plays a role in the virulence of Klebsiella oxytoca. The aim of this study was to investigate molecular typing of clinical isolates of the cytotoxin-producing K. oxytoca using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) PCR. A total of 75 isolates of K. oxytoca were isolated from clinical samples; they were verified as K. oxytoca by standard microbiological tests and PCR. Production of toxin determines the cytotoxic effects on HEp-2 cells. The genetic diversity of isolates of the cytotoxin-producing K. oxytoca were defined by ITS-PCR. Of all the isolates investigated, five K. oxytoca strains isolated from stool cultures, two strains from blood samples, one strain from a wound and one strain isolated from urine had cytotoxic effects on HEp-2 cells. The ITS-PCR patterns showed genetic diversity among cytotoxin-producing isolates. The ITS-PCR method had good discriminatory power; performance of this method and interpretation of the results were easy and repeatable. Five genetic diversity patterns were identified by ITS-PCR.