細菌学および寄生虫学ジャーナル

概要

Prevalence and distribution of superantigen toxin genes in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus

Mohamed Elazali, Dris Elhabki, Khalid Zerouari, Noureddine Dersi, Abdelouhed Elmalki, Mohamed Hassar, Rachid Sayle, Mohamed Timineuni

We investigated the distribution of 12 staphylococcal enterotoxin genes (se) and the toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 gene (tst) of S. aureus in 140 community isolates of various origins. Isolates were collected from 15 clinical laboratories in Casablanca in 2007-2008 and were identified by conventional methods and confirmed for methicillin resistance by amplification of the mecA gene by PCR. All isolates were searched for accessory gene regulator (agr) group and 13 superantigen (SAg) toxin genes, sea, seb, sec, sed, seh, selk, sell, selm, selo, selp, selq, ser, and tst, using multiplex PCR. Of all isolates, only 2 were methicillin resistant and 107 were shown to be positive for at least one of the SAg toxin genes tested. These were classified into 43 genotypes. In our study, agr group III and agr group I S. aureus isolates were significantly more frequent for the presence of seh, selq, selk and/or tst genes on the one hand and sec and/or sell genes on the other hand (P<0.05). Furthermore, we found an association between pus/wound S. aureus isolates and the presence of selk + selq genes (P<0.05). Our results suggest that agr group III isolates harbor more SAg toxin genes than agr group I and II S. aureus strains.