title: Colonizing features of Staphylococcus aureus in early childhood atopic dermatitis and in mothers: a cross-sectional comparative study done at four kindergartens in Daegu, South Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colonization of Staphylococcus aureus is well known to be an aggravating factor for the flare-up of atopic dermatitis (AD), yet few studies have been done on its spread in families with childhood AD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the characteristic features of skin-colonizing S aureus and to identify the source of S aureus in early childhood AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four subjects with AD, 51 borderline (BD) subjects, and 36 normal controls (NC) aged 3-6 years and their mothers were recruited from four different kindergartens. After comparing the positive culture rate of S aureus in three different groups of children and their mothers, we determined if there is a possibility of intrafamilial transmission between the children with AD and their mothers using polymerase chain reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A high prevalence (72.7%) of S aureus colonization was found in the AD group compared with the BD and NC groups. However, the prevalence rate of S aureus in the mothers who had children with AD was not significantly higher than in the mothers from the BD and NC groups. Based on the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results, the cutaneous re-colonization of S aureus in childhood AD appears to have been primarily originating from the patients' noses, and maternal origin does not appear to substantially contribute to S aureus transmission in early childhood AD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the cutaneous colonization of S aureus in early childhood AD predominantly originated from the patients' own noses, the maternal transmission route does not appear to contribute substantially to the colonization of S aureus in early childhood AD.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
authors: Byung Soo
authors: BS
authors: Kim
authors: Jun Young
authors: JY
authors: Kim
authors: Hyun Jung
authors: HJ
authors: Lim
authors: Weon Ju
authors: WJ
authors: Lee
authors: Seok-Jong
authors: SJ
authors: Lee
authors: Jung Min
authors: JM
authors: Kim
authors: Moon Bum
authors: MB
authors: Kim
authors: Ho Sun
authors: HS
authors: Jang
authors: Kyung-Sool
authors: KS
authors: Kwon
authors: Do Won
authors: DW
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial