Staphylococcus aureus throat carriage is associated with ABO-/secretor status.
OBJECTIVE
In 30% of carriers, Staphylococcus aureus colonization affects exclusively the pharynx and occurs independently from its presence in the nares. This additional reservoir has implications for S. aureus transmission, infection, and decolonization. Host factors promoting colonization of the throat, however, are unknown.


METHODS
We determined pharyngeal and persistent nasal carriage of S. aureus, ABO histo-blood group and ABH secretor status phenotypes in 227 individuals.


RESULTS
Compared to group A/non-secretors, group O/non-secretor individuals were at increased risk of carrying S. aureus in their throat (OR 6.50, 95% confidence interval 1.28-33.03, P = 0.02) and group O/secretor individuals were protected (OR 0.24, 0.07-0.77, P = 0.02). Both associations became moderately stronger after adjusting for persistent S. aureus nasal carriage, which was found to be a risk factor for pharyngeal colonization in the univariable analysis (OR 2.41, 1.35-4.33, p = 0.003). Most simultaneous carriers (72%) had identical S. aureus genotypes in their nose and throat.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings are consistent with in vitro studies that proposed a role of histo-blood group antigens as ligands for S. aureus and support their contribution to the observed population variation in nasopharyngeal S. aureus colonization. Based on their tissue specific expression histo-blood group antigens appear to modulate individual S. aureus colonization patterns.
Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität, Wilhelmstraße 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
Dennis
D
Nurjadi
Jacques
J
Lependu
Peter G
PG
Kremsner
Philipp
P
Zanger
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006805:Human Experimentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System