TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of genes encoding for staphylococcal leukocidal toxins among clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from implant orthopedic infections
AU - Arciola, Carla Renata
AU - Baldassarri, L.
AU - Von Eiff, C.
AU - Campoccia, D.
AU - Ravaioli, S.
AU - Pirini, V.
AU - Becker, K.
AU - Montanaro, L.
PY - 2007/9
Y1 - 2007/9
N2 - Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a major cause of implant infections. It is known that it is able to produce several toxins that contribute to its armory of virulent weapons, but there are still no data on their prevalence among isolates recovered from biomaterial-centered infections. In this study, 200 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from infections related to different types of orthopedic implants (hip and knee arthroprostheses, internal and external fixation devices) were tested by polymerase chain reaction for the prevalence of genes encoding for leukotoxins. Although almost all isolates were positive for the γ-hemolysin gene (99%), none was positive for lukM. The leukotoxin genes lukE/lukD were found in 67% of isolates. The presence of lukE/lukD was significantly associated with that of Accessory Gene Regulatory locus agr II. The lukE/lukD-positive isolates were significantly more prevalent in the staphylococcal isolates from knee arthroprostheses than in the isolates from the other implant types. The genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin components were detected in only one isolate that, curiously enough, was taken solely from a knee arthroprosthesis infection.
AB - Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a major cause of implant infections. It is known that it is able to produce several toxins that contribute to its armory of virulent weapons, but there are still no data on their prevalence among isolates recovered from biomaterial-centered infections. In this study, 200 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from infections related to different types of orthopedic implants (hip and knee arthroprostheses, internal and external fixation devices) were tested by polymerase chain reaction for the prevalence of genes encoding for leukotoxins. Although almost all isolates were positive for the γ-hemolysin gene (99%), none was positive for lukM. The leukotoxin genes lukE/lukD were found in 67% of isolates. The presence of lukE/lukD was significantly associated with that of Accessory Gene Regulatory locus agr II. The lukE/lukD-positive isolates were significantly more prevalent in the staphylococcal isolates from knee arthroprostheses than in the isolates from the other implant types. The genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin components were detected in only one isolate that, curiously enough, was taken solely from a knee arthroprosthesis infection.
KW - Implant infections
KW - Leukocidal toxins
KW - Staphylococcus aureus
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M3 - Article
C2 - 17918124
AN - SCOPUS:36049043168
VL - 30
SP - 792
EP - 797
JO - International Journal of Artificial Organs
JF - International Journal of Artificial Organs
SN - 0391-3988
IS - 9
ER -