title: Susceptibilities to antiseptic agents and distribution of antiseptic-resistance genes qacA/B and smr of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated in Asia during 1998 and 1999.
abstract: Many antiseptic agents are used in hygienic handwashes in the prevention of nosocomial infections by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The plasmid-borne genes qacA/B and smr confer resistance to cationic antiseptic agents in S. aureus. In this study, the susceptibilities for dyes and antiseptic agents (e.g. acriflavine, acrinol, benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, chlorhexidine digluconate and alkyldiaminoethylglycine hydrochloride) of 894 isolates of MRSA collected from 11 Asian countries (South Korea, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Japan) between 1998 and 1999 were examined. In addition, the distributions of the antiseptic-resistance genes qacA/B and smr were studied by PCR. Among the Asian MRSA isolates 57.7% (516/894) were acriflavine-resistant. The smr gene was detected in 31.6% (12/38) of MRSA isolates from India but only in 1.9% (16/856) of all the isolates from other Asian countries. MRSA with qacA/B comprised 41.6% (372/894) of the isolates across Asia. In addition, PFGE was performed to type the MRSA and grouped the tested 30 MRSA isolates with qacA/B into 21 PFGE types. The results indicated that qacA/B is functionally the most important gene mediating antiseptic resistance in the MRSA strains of Asia and that a specific MRSA with qacA/B was not prevalent in Asia but qacA/B were widely spread among MRSA of Asia, while the geographical distribution of smr is more limited.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narui
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Teruyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan 2Department of Bacteriology, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Ilwon-dong, Kangnam-ku Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000167:Acriflavine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C099272:QacB protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C068498:qacA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D000167:Acriflavine; D008712:Methicillin