Staphylococcus aureus positive for Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes but susceptible to methicillin in patients with furuncles.
A total of 75 Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from patients with either recurrent skin abscesses or furuncles (n=48) or chronic infections from other body sites (n=27) were screened for the presence of the lukS-PV and lukF-PV genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Significantly more isolates (70.8% vs. 7.4%, p<0.001) from patients suffering skin abscesses or furuncles were positive for lukS-PV and lukF-PV. These isolates belonged to the accessory gene regulator (agr) group Ia (9/48), group III (13/48), or group IV (19/48). In contrast with results of other investigations, none of the isolates positive for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes in this study exhibited methicillin resistance.
Department of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Hygiene-Institute, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. di5@ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de
O
O
Nolte
H
H
Haag
A
A
Zimmerman
H K
HK
Geiss
D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D005260:Female; D005667:Furunculosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin