Molecular analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a causative agent of bronchopulmonary infection: relation to colonization in the upper respiratory tract

H Watanabe; H Masaki; N Asoh; K Watanabe; K Oishi; S Kobayashi; A Sato; T Nagatake

doi:10.1128/JCM.38.10.3867-3869.2000

Molecular analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a causative agent of bronchopulmonary infection: relation to colonization in the upper respiratory tract

J Clin Microbiol. 2000 Oct;38(10):3867-9. doi: 10.1128/JCM.38.10.3867-3869.2000.

Authors

H Watanabe¹, H Masaki, N Asoh, K Watanabe, K Oishi, S Kobayashi, A Sato, T Nagatake

Affiliation

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Kyorin Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan. [email protected]

Abstract

Using five diagnostic markers, we compared the types of 72 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated simultaneously from the nasal cavity, pharynx, and sputum from 24 patients. Almost identical MRSA types had colonized the nasal cavity and sputum from the same patient for 21 (88%) of the patients. We speculate that most MRSA organisms isolated in sputum are derived from the nasal cavity, while a few are derived from the pharynx.

MeSH terms

Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Humans
Methicillin Resistance*
Nasal Mucosa / microbiology
Pharynx / microbiology
Respiratory Tract Infections / diagnosis
Respiratory Tract Infections / microbiology*
Ribotyping
Sputum / microbiology
Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis
Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*
Staphylococcus aureus / growth & development
Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification