Distribution of virulence genes in spa types of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients in intensive care units.
BACKGROUND
Various virulence factors and superantigens are encoded by mobile genetic elements. The relationship between clonal background and virulence factors differs in different geographic regions. We compared the distribution and relationship of spa types and virulence genes among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from a tertiary hospital in 2000-01 and 2007-08.


METHODS
In 2000-01 and 2007-08, 94 MRSA strains were collected from 3 intensive care units at a Korean tertiary hospital. We performed spa typing and multiplex PCR for 19 superantigen genes.


RESULTS
Relatively frequent spa types were t037 (40.5%), t002, t601, and t2138 in 2000-01, and t2460 (43.9%), t002, t037, t601, t324, and t2139 in 2007-08. We identified 4 novel spa types, 2 of which were designated as t5076 and t5079. Superantigen profiles were closely linked to spa types. For example, sea, sek, and seq superantigen genes were mainly detected in t037 strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Major spa types differed depending on study periods, and the distribution of superantigen genes correlated with spa type.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Taeksoo
T
Kim
Jongyoun
J
Yi
Ki Ho
KH
Hong
Jeong-Su
JS
Park
Eui-Chong
EC
Kim
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D018089:Superantigens / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018089:Superantigens; D037521:Virulence Factors
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1996 Jan;15(1):60-4
8641305
J Clin Microbiol. 2000 Mar;38(3):1032-5
10698991
J Infect Dis. 2006 Jun 1;193(11):1495-503
16652276
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Nov;75(21):6839-49
19749060
J Antimicrob Chemother. 2007 Dec;60(6):1258-63
17934203
J Bacteriol. 2006 Jan;188(2):669-76
16385056
J Korean Med Sci. 2009 Aug;24(4):585-91
19654937
J Clin Microbiol. 2007 Aug;45(8):2669-80
17537946
J Med Microbiol. 2008 Sep;57(Pt 9):1106-1112
18719180
J Immunol. 2001 Jan 1;166(1):669-77
11123352
J Clin Microbiol. 2005 Oct;43(10):5150-7
16207977
Int J Food Microbiol. 2007 Jun 10;117(1):99-105
17439826
J Bacteriol. 1996 Sep;178(18):5464-71
8808937
J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Feb;42(2):792-9
14766855