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Comparative Study
. 2009 Sep 4:9:189.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-189.

Molecular features of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bacteremic patients

Yasmin Maor  1 , Levona Lago, Amir Zlotkin, Yeshayahu Nitzan, Natasha Belausov, Debby Ben-David, Nathan Keller, Galia Rahav
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Molecular features of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bacteremic patients

Yasmin Maor et al. BMC Microbiol. .

Abstract

Background: Heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) bacteremia is an emerging infection. Our objective was to determine the molecular features of hVISA strains isolated from bacteremic patients and to compare them to methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) blood isolates.

Results: We assessed phenotypic and genomic changes of hVISA (n = 24), MRSA (n = 16) and MSSA (n = 17) isolates by PCR to determine staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec) types, Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and the accessory gene regulator (agr) loci. Biofilm formation was quantified. Genetic relatedness was assessed by PFGE. PFGE analysis of isolates was diverse suggesting multiple sources of infection. 50% of hVISA isolates carried SCCmec type I, 21% type II; 25% type V; in 4% the SCCmec type could not be identified. Among MRSA isolates, 44% were SCCmec type I, 12.5% type II, 25% type V, 12.5% were non-typable, and 6% were SCCmec type IVd. Only one hVISA isolate and two MSSA isolates carried the PVL. Biofilm formation and agr patterns were diverse.

Conclusion: hVISA isolates were diverse in all parameters tested. A considerable number of hVISA and MRSA strains carried the SCCmec type V cassette, which was not related to community acquisition.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PFGE of hVISA, MRSA and MSSA isolates.
Figure 2
Figure 2
SCCmec typing among hVISA and MRSA isolates using Zhang's method [32].
Figure 3
Figure 3
agr typing among hVISA, MRSA and MSSA isolates.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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