title: Involvement of Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing Staphylococcus aureus in primary skin infections and pneumonia.
abstract: Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a cytotoxin that causes leukocyte destruction and tissue necrosis. It is produced by fewer than 5% of Staphylococcus aureus strains. A collection of 172 S. aureus strains were screened for PVL genes by polymerase chain reaction amplification. PVL genes were detected in 93% of strains associated with furunculosis and in 85% of those associated with severe necrotic hemorrhagic pneumonia (all community-acquired). They were detected in 55% of cellulitis strains, 50% of cutaneous abscess strains, 23% of osteomyelitis strains, and 13% of finger-pulp-infection strains. PVL genes were not detected in strains responsible for other infections, such as infective endocarditis, mediastinitis, hospital-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and enterocolitis, or in those associated with toxic-shock syndrome. It thus appears that PVL is mainly associated with necrotic lesions involving the skin or mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence de Toxémies Staphylococciques, Faculté de Médecine, 69372 Lyon Cedex 08, France. geralina@cismsun.univ-lyon1.fr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lina
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Piémont
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Godail-Gamot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bes
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gauduchon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vandenesch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Etienne
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin