Characterization of SCCmec types, antibiotic resistance, and toxin gene profiles of Staphylococcus aureus strains.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes serious nosocomial and community acquired infections. Resistance to methicillin is mediated by the mecA gene, which is inserted in a mobile genetic element called staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). We determined the SCCmec types, the occurrence of genes encoding toxic shock syndrome toxin (tst), exfoliative toxin (eta, etb), Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) as well as antibiotic susceptibility of these isolates. Among 65 hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (HA-MRSA) strains, SCCmec types II, III and IV were identified. Type III SCCmec was the most prevalent (62%), followed by mec types II (24%) and IV (14%). Four community acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) strains carried SCCmec type IV and were pvl-positive. The most prevalent gene among HA-MRSA was pvl. The toxic shock syndrome toxin and exfoliative toxin genes were found only in hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The results of this study demonstrate that the SCCmec type III is predominant among strains recovered from hospitalized patients with infections and that these strains were resistant to many antibiotics used in the treatment of staphylococcal infections.
Adam Mickiewicz University Department of Microbiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology ul. Umultowska 89 Poznań 61-614 Poland.
Ewa
E
Szczuka
Katarzyna
K
Grabska
Krzysztof
K
Trawczyński
Karolina
K
Bosacka
Adam
A
Kaznowski
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus