title: Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Types Among Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusin Northern Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a common cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections around the world. Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing methods are often used to study MRSA molecular epidemiology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study was designed to explore the distribution profiles of different SCCmec types among methicillin-resistantS. aureusstrains isolated from hospitals in Gorgan, in northern Iran, and to correlate the types into observed bacterial virulence factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing of 62 MRSA strains isolated from patients and health-care workers in Gorgan was performed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The prevalence of the strains was then compared according to isolation source, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, biofilm production, and the presence of the Panton-Valentine gene in isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common SCCmec type was type III, with a frequency rate of 76%, followed by types IV, I, and V, with frequency rates of 11.2%, 4.8%, and 3.2%, respectively; three isolates (4.8%) were not typeable by this method. SCCmec type I was only isolated from blood culture, and types IV and V were mainly isolated from wounds and urine samples; SCCmec type III was isolated from all of the clinically samples. All of the MRSA strains that were isolated from healthy carriers were type III. Multidrug resistance in the type III strains was higher compared to the other types. The frequencies of Panton-Valentine and biofilm production were significantly lower in the type III strains compared to the other SCCmec types (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similarly to other geographical regions of Iran, the SCCmec type III MRSA strain was the most frequently isolated strain from patients in Gorgan. Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type III showed fewer virulence factors compared to other SCCmec types.
authors: Microbiology Department, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors: Akram
authors: A
authors: Taherirad
authors: Microbiology Department, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors: Roghayeh
authors: R
authors: Jahanbakhsh
authors: Microbiology Department, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Shakeri
authors: Microbiology Department, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors: Shaghayegh
authors: S
authors: Anvary
authors: Microbiology Department, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, IR Iran.
authors: Ezzat Allah
authors: EA
authors: Ghaemi
keywords: Healthy Carrier; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Patient; SCCmec