title: Genetic and Phenotypic Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Cystic Fibrosis Patients in Austria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting inherited disease in Caucasian populations. While pathological changes can be seen in various organs, morbidity and mortality are mainly related to the respiratory tract, with patients suffering from chronic bronchopulmonary infections with characteristic pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To date, there is only very limited data on the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of S. aureus in CF patients. Therefore, in our study, we characterized 58 S. aureus isolates collected from CF patients in Austria by spa typing, DNA microarray profiling, as well as antimicrobial susceptibility testing in order to determine common genomic and antimicrobial resistance features. The tested strain collection exhibited high genomic diversity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 58 isolates were assigned to 16 clonal complexes and 48 spa types and differed greatly regarding their virulence and resistance gene profiles. The predominant clonal complexes were MLST CC30 (22%), CC15 (16%), CC45 (14%), and CC5 (12%), complexes that are highly prevalent worldwide among S. aureus strains isolated from humans colonized or infected with S. aureus. DNA microarray profiles showed a wide variety of genes encoding antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors such as various leukocidins, haemolysins, enterotoxins, exfoliative toxins, toxic shock syndrome toxin, as well as genes involved in adhesion and immune evasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While a large number of strains exhibited resistance to one or several antimicrobial agents, methicillin-resistant S. aureus was found at a low prevalence of 3% (n = 2) only. The two methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates were assigned to CC152/t355 (SCCmecV) and CC5/t001 (SCCmecI). This is the first study to genetically characterize S. aureus isolates in CF patients in Austria.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masoud-Landgraf
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johler
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badura
authors.forename: Gebhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feierl
authors.forename: Josefa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luxner
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wagner-Eibel
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eber
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zarfel
authors.forename: Andrea J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Grisold
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins