title: Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains are associated with follicular skin infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus have been associated with suppurative infections; however, their precise role in skin infections has not been elucidated. We studied the rate of PVL-positive S. aureus in the different types of skin infections and compared follicular to nonfollicular skin infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our institution, patients with a skin infection caused by S. aureus were enrolled in a prospective, observational cohort study (from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2010). We studied the rate of PVL-positive S. aureus in the different clinical types of skin infections and compared the rate of PVL-positive S. aureus in follicular infections to that in nonfollicular infections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total 229 skin infections were included: 97 (42.5%) were caused by PVL-positive strains. Thirty-nine of the 53 (74%) follicular infections [8 of the 17 (47%) with folliculitis, 30 of the 35 (85.5%) with furuncles and 1 with a carbuncle (100%)] were caused by PVL-positive S. aureus, compared to 16 of the 131 (12%) nonfollicular infections (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVL-positive S. aureus strains are mainly associated with follicular skin infections.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Infectiologie-Dermatologie, Hôpital Bonnet, Fréjus, France. del-giudice-p@chi-frejus-saint-raphael.fr
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Giudice
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bes
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hubiche
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roudière
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lina
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vandenesch
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Etienne
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D006201:Hair Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000032:analysis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin