title: Polymerase chain reaction fingerprints of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates in Greece are related to certain antibiotypes.
abstract: Characterization of clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and representatives of three MRSA clones from other hospitals was performed by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. All isolates were mecA-positive and two main antibiotypes have been characterized. Two major clones were identified with AP-PCR related to the aforementioned antibiotypes. The combination of antibiotypes with AP-PCR patterns successfully identified the two major clones in our hospital, which are identical with the MRSA clones previously characterized in Athens and in Central and North Greece.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500 Rion, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartzavali-Louki
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dimitracopoulos
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spiliopoulou
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents