title: Panton-Valentine leucocidin gene carriage among Staphylococcus aureus strains recovered from skin and soft tissue infections in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Regardless of methicillin resistance, Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus isolates are associated with various types of infections and outbreaks. Limited data exist about the PVL content of S. aureus strains in Turkey. In this multicentre study, we aimed to assess the PVL positivity and antimicrobial susceptibilities of S. aureus isolates recovered from skin and soft tissue samples of both community and nosocomial origin in the study period, 2007-08.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and forty-two [92 community-acquired (CA) and 150 hospital-acquired (HA)] isolates were included in the study. Analysis of mecA and PVL was carried out using PCR. All isolates underwent susceptibility testing according to the CLSI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 242 isolates, 77 were mecA positive. PVL was not found among methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates, but 8 (5.3%) HA methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and 14 (15.2%) CA-MSSA, mostly isolated from furuncles (71.4%), were positive for PVL. Among PVL-positive strains, the penicillin resistance rate was 90.9%. Low resistance rates, <10%, were detected for erythromycin, fusidic acid and co-trimoxazole. PVL-positive strains showed higher rates of susceptibility to erythromycin, gentamicin and rifampicin than negative isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the findings of this study, infection related to PVL-carrying CA-MRSA is not at an alarmingly high level, but population-based surveillance studies should be done to determine the real status.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ahi Evran University, Kirsehir, Turkey. drtulin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tulin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Nilay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coplu
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bayrak
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buyukguclu
authors.forename: Neriman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eksioglu
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yalcin
authors.forename: Nilgün
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Atakan
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Zeynep Ceren
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.forename: Berrin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Esen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014421:Turkey; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D037521:Virulence Factors