Spontaneous staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element excision in Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriers

J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Feb;50(2):469-71. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01063-11. Epub 2011 Nov 23.

Abstract

Among 23 patients carrying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in their anterior nares, 6 (26%) also carried methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) as less prevalent flora. In 4 of the 6 patients, the MSSA was unrelated to prevalent MRSA, as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing. However, in two patients, the strains were identical except for the absence of spontaneous staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). We consider this evidence of spontaneous SCCmec excision in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Carrier State / microbiology*
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial
  • Cluster Analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Methicillin Resistance*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Typing
  • Nasal Mucosa / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / classification
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial