title: Molecular and phenotypic characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a tertiary hospital in the Philippines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a major threat to public health worldwide. There are relatively few studies addressing the molecular epidemiology of MRSA in the Philippines.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study characterized MRSA isolates in terms of their antimicrobial susceptibility profile, the SCCmec type, and the presence of lukF-lukS genes for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and determined the relatedness of the isolates by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 236 S. aureus were isolated from clinical specimens of the Makati Medical Center in Makati City, Philippines, between January 2013 and June 2013, and 108 or 45.76 % were found to be MRSA. Results showed that the MRSA strains were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (20.37 %), azithromycin (10.19 %), gentamicin (5.56 %), and linezolid (4.63 %), while all were susceptible to vancomycin, nitrofurantoin, levofloxacin, minocycline, rifampin, and tetracycline. One isolate was found positive for inducible clindamycin resistance. All of the 108 MRSA strains were confirmed to carry the mecA and SCCmec genes, while the PVL genes were detected in 41 (38 %) of the isolates. Ninety-six isolates (89 %) carried SCCmec type IV, while the remaining isolates carried SCCmec type I (11 isolates) or type III (one isolate).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to present a comprehensive MRSA surveillance data with molecular characterization in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Philippines ; Department of Pathology and Laboratories, Makati Medical Center, Makati City, 1229 Philippines.
authors.forename: Demetrio L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Philippines ; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Philippines.
authors.forename: Phyllis Anne P
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Paclibare
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, De La Salle University, Taft Ave., Manila City, 1004 Philippines.
authors.forename: Esperanza C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Philippines ; Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Philippines.
authors.forename: Windell L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Rivera
keywords: Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA); Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL); Philippines; Phylogram; Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD); SCCmec; Staphylococcus aureus