Comparison of the Genetic Convergence Degree of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) Strains Isolated from Patients Infected with TB by MIRU-VNTR Technique

In recent decades, epidemiology has significantly been considered in hygienic studies and disease control, and has made a way into all the programs and hygiene policies. By examining the convergence of harmful lineage genetic patterns, the common infectious resources among the patients can be inferred. The purpose of this study was to compare the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis genetic patterns convergence isolated from patients infected with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by MIRU-VNTR technique. After isolation the samples from Lowenstein Jensen culture environment and taking segregate tests and drug susceptibility, the DNA was extracted using CTAB/Nacl technique. The genetic patterns of lineages were calculated according to 12 loci format with MIRU-VNTR technique. Demographic and molecular information of patients was used for epidemiological purposes. After performing drug sensitivity test, 65/140 (64/4%) samples fall into MDR, 29 (20/7%) samples in non MDR category, and the rest of them were among drug – sensitive lineages. Lineage genetic pattern analysis indicated that 49 (35%) of samples related to Delhi/CAS, 28 (20%) to Uganda I, 16 (11/4%) to New I, 1 (0.7%) to EAI, 3(2/1%) to Haarlem, and 5(3/5%) to H37RV families. The genetic pattern convergence comparison exhibited that the most common and variant genetic patterns was seen in Tehran province which were mostly connected to south (from the South of Tehran to Azadi Square) and to the border cities neighboring Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkmenistan and cities with extreme percentage of immigration, all of which signified shared polluted resources among patients.