title: Detection of methicillin-resistance gene in Staphylococcus epidermidis strains isolated from patients in Al-Zahra Hospital using polymerase chain reaction and minimum inhibitory concentration methods.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus epidermidis to methicillin has significantly increased, making it essential to study resistance to methicillin, which is a determining factor in the appropriate treatment pattern. The purpose of this study was to identify methicillin-resistant genes in S. epidermidis strains using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to determine their mean minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to methicillin using E-test method.
  
  
  METHODS
  MIC was determined on 146 samples of S. epidermidis using E-test method. Moreover, all samples were tested for the presence of mecA gene using PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCR test showed 75.34% of the samples to contain mecA gene. Methicillin resistance test was performed using E-test on all the samples, which showed resistance in different dilutions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of mecA gene in S. epidermidis isolates was 75.34%. Among the various applied tests used for determining methicillin resistance, sensitivity and specificity of PCR were the highest and reached 100%. Sensitivity and specificity were found to be 95.3% and 94.7%, respectively, for phenotypic test (E-test) and 86.5% and 80.9%, respectively, for disk diffusion method. Based on the above results, it seems that resistance of S. epidermidis to methicillin is on the rise, and therefore more research is warranted.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Ebtehaj
authors: E
authors: Pishva
authors: Seyed Asghar
authors: SA
authors: Havaei
authors: Firouz
authors: F
authors: Arsalani
authors: Tahmineh
authors: T
authors: Narimani
authors: Amir
authors: A
authors: Azimian
authors: Mojtaba
authors: M
authors: Akbari
keywords: E-test; Staphylococcus epidermidis; mecA gene; methicillin
references: Cell Microbiol. 2004 Mar;6(3):269-75
references: 14764110
references: Contrib Microbiol. 2001;8:102-7
references: 11764727
references: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2006 May;101(3):277-80
references: 16862322
references: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2004 May;10(5):462-5
references: 15113327
references: Clin Infect Dis. 1994 Aug;19(2):231-43; quiz 244-5
references: 7986894
references: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1993 Jul;12(7):527-33
references: 8404913
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1999 Jan;37(1):26-30
references: 9854058
references: Trends Microbiol. 2001 Oct;9(10):486-93
references: 11597450
references: J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Aug;41(8):3609-14
references: 12904363
references: Clin Microbiol Rev. 1997 Oct;10(4):781-91
references: 9336672
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2000 Jun;44(6):1616-23
references: 10817718
references: Microbiol Res. 2009;164(4):404-10
references: 17475456
references: Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2007 Jul-Aug;70(4):667-75
references: 17906764
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1996 Feb;34(2):249-53
references: 8788995
references: Drugs. 2005;65(2):179-214
references: 15631541
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Nov;28(11):2425-31
references: 2254418
references: Biomaterials. 2005 Nov;26(33):6530-5
references: 15949842
references: Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1999 Mar;20(3):167-70
references: 10100541
references: Anal Bioanal Chem. 2007 Jan;387(2):399-408
references: 16955256
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1995 Apr;39(4):982-4
references: 7786008
references: Microbiol Immunol. 2007;51(9):787-95
references: 17895595
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Aug;36(8):2366-8
references: 9666026
references: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2003 Dec;9(12):1179-86
references: 14686982
references: APMIS. 1993 Apr;101(4):311-8
references: 8323741
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Oct;26(10):1939-49
references: 2846632
references: Int J Med Microbiol. 2002 Jul;292(2):67-74
references: 12195737
references: J Clin Microbiol. 2006 Oct;44(10):3634-9
references: 17021092
references: Clin Microbiol Rev. 1994 Jan;7(1):117-40
references: 8118787
references: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2004 Apr;10(4):302-8
references: 15059118
references: J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Jan;36(1):273-4
references: 9431964
references: J Antimicrob Chemother. 1999 Sep;44(3):351-8
references: 10511402
references: Anaesthesia. 2005 Sep;60(9):887-902
references: 16115251
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1991 Dec;35(12):2574-9
references: 1810191
references: Iran J Microbiol. 2010 Dec;2(4):185-8
references: 22347570