title: Distribution of methicillin-resistance and of protein A among Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from different hosts.
abstract: The link between loss of protein A and methicillin-resistance, and the presence of both characters in relation to the hosts from which S. aureus strains have been isolated, was examined. The majority of methicillin-resistant strains lost protein A. Normal hosts were generally infected with methicillin-sensitive protein A positive strains, while in immunocompromised patients the finding of multiresistant-protein A deficient strains was more frequent. The importance of the host's immune system, together with the antibiotic pressure in selecting these mutants, is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chirurgia d'Urgenza dell'Università, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pessione
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giunta
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000032:analysis*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D008712:Methicillin