Whole genome sequencing data from Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream isolates used in a GWAS of metastatic infection
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a heterogenous infectious disease that causes high morbidity and mortality. Patients with SAB may suffer from a broad range of manifestations, from uncomplicated bacteremia till complicated course with metastatic infections. While patient factors contribute to clinical manifestations and outcomes, these differences cannot fully explain the disease variability. Genetic characteristics of the infecting strain can potentially explain a part of this residual variation. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of bacterial genotype on different clinical outcomes in SAB patients. We performed a single centre cohort study in an academic hospital in the Netherlands. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on S. aureus blood isolates and corresponding clinical data were extracted from medical records. We performed principal component analyses, Jaccard similarity index and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genetic variants associated with different clinical manifestations, including 30-day mortality, complicated SAB, cardiovascular, osteoarticular and deep -seated skin-, soft tissue- and visceral infection among all patients and in high-risk patients only, as well as cardiovascular or osteoarticular infection in patients with relevant prosthetic material. In total, 508 S. aureus genomes were analysed (97% methicillin-susceptible). The genetic profiles of S. aureus isolates did not show significant variation across various clinical manifestations, despite using multiple statistical methods. The absence of significant differences between S. aureus strains in patients with a wide range of clinical manifestations suggests that genetic characteristics of S. aureus isolates could not be linked to the disease heterogeneity; a wide variety of S. aureus strains with diverse genetic backgrounds are capable of causing  SAB. This implies that host characteristics are likely to play a more important role in determining the severity and prognosis of S. aureus bacteremia. Additionally, variability in host-pathogen interactions, possibly influenced by human genetic differences, could affect the course of infection.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a heterogenous infectious disease that causes high morbidity and mortality. Patients with SAB may suffer from a broad range of manifestations, from uncomplicated bacteremia till complicated course with metastatic infections. While patient factors contribute to clinical manifestations and outcomes, these differences cannot fully explain the disease variability. Genetic characteristics of the infecting strain can potentially explain a part of this residual variation. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of bacterial genotype on different clinical outcomes in SAB patients. We performed a single centre cohort study in an academic hospital in the Netherlands. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on S. aureus blood isolates and corresponding clinical data were extracted from medical records. We performed principal component analyses, Jaccard similarity index and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genetic variants associated with different clinical manifestations, including 30-day mortality, complicated SAB, cardiovascular, osteoarticular and deep -seated skin-, soft tissue- and visceral infection among all patients and in high-risk patients only, as well as cardiovascular or osteoarticular infection in patients with relevant prosthetic material. In total, 508 S. aureus genomes were analysed (97% methicillin-susceptible). The genetic profiles of S. aureus isolates did not show significant variation across various clinical manifestations, despite using multiple statistical methods. The absence of significant differences between S. aureus strains in patients with a wide range of clinical manifestations suggests that genetic characteristics of S. aureus isolates could not be linked to the disease heterogeneity; a wide variety of S. aureus strains with diverse genetic backgrounds are capable of causing  SAB. This implies that host characteristics are likely to play a more important role in determining the severity and prognosis of S. aureus bacteremia. Additionally, variability in host-pathogen interactions, possibly influenced by human genetic differences, could affect the course of infection.