title: Triplex real-time pcr for detection of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and Panton-Valentine leukocidin in North-East Romania.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate S. aureus isolates for the presence of methicillin-resistance and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes and to further characterize positive strains by means of antibiotic resistance patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a triplex Real-Time PCR method for simultaneous detection of nuc, mecA and pvl genes in clinical isolates from 188 patients admitted to "Sf. Parascheva" Infectious Diseases Hospital laşi, during a 3 year period (2008-2010).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study revealed a relatively high rate of PVL-producing strains (23.93%), mainly community-associated (CA-MRSA) (51.11%). Most pvl-positive CA-MRSA isolates were resistant to erythromycin (91.3%), but none was resistant to clindamycin, fluoroquinolones, rifampicin, chloramphenicol or fusidic acid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed a high rate of multidug-resistance among strains classified as CA-MRSA (54.83%), but not among PVL-producers (4.44%). Although resistance to fusidic acid was previously proposed as a marker for PVL-producing CA-MRSA, our data suggest that we cannot rely on resistance to fusidic'acid to screen for PVL-producing CA-MRSA in our setting.
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T Popa Iasi, Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Teodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vremeră
authors.forename: Luminiţa Smaranda
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Iancu
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Nastase
authors.forename: Cătălina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Logigan
authors.forename: Egidia Gabriela
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Miftode
authors.forename: Ana Irina
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Mereuţă
authors.forename: Cătălina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luncă
authors.forename: Olivia Simona
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Dorneanu
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease / Q000235:genetics*; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010641:Phenotype; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012383:Romania; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015415:Biomarkers; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C074002:nuc protein, staphylococcus; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease