Epidemiological data on Staphylococcus aureus strains producing synergohymenotropic toxins

J Med Microbiol. 1995 Apr;42(4):237-45. doi: 10.1099/00222615-42-4-237.

Abstract

DNA hybridisation of 309 consecutive Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates with oligonucleotide probes specific for genes encoding Panton-Valentine leucocidin (luk-PV) and gamma-haemolysin (hlg) revealed that 99% of randomly selected strains carried the hlg locus whereas only 2% harboured the luk-PV as well as the hlg loci. Only 1% of the strains did not possess either gene. In a clinical prospective study of independent S. aureus strains, 58 Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-producing isolates were shown to be responsible for primary skin infections, mainly furuncles (86%). Phage susceptibility patterns and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles of DNA were shown to be polymorphic epidemiological markers of PVL-producing strains. In eight patients with recurrent furuncles, the PVL-producing strains isolated either from furuncles or from the anterior nares were considered to be identical in each based upon phage sensitivity profiles or PFGE patterns.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bacteremia / epidemiology
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins / biosynthesis*
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Bacteriophage Typing
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Female
  • Furunculosis / epidemiology
  • Furunculosis / microbiology
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Hemolysin Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Hemolysin Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Leukocidins / biosynthesis*
  • Leukocidins / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Oligonucleotide Probes / chemistry
  • Phenotype
  • Prospective Studies
  • Staphylococcal Infections / epidemiology
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / epidemiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Staphylococcus aureus / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Leukocidins
  • Oligonucleotide Probes
  • gamma-hemolysin, Staphylococcus aureus