Journal List > Korean J Lab Med > v.27(2) > 1011377

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Kim, Kim, Song, Cho, Lee, and Kim: Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates with Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin C genes
Original Article

Korean J Leg Med 2007;27(2):118-123.

Published online: 10 February 2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2007.27.2.118

Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates with Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin C genes

Jae-Seok Kim, M.D.1, Han-Sung Kim, M.D.1, Wonkeun Song, M.D.1, Hyoun Chan Cho, M.D.1, Kyu Man Lee, M.D.1, Eui-Chong Kim, M.D.2

1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Received 20 December 2006       Revised 5 March 2007       Accepted 5 March 2007

Copyright © 2007 The Korean Society for Legal Medicine

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background

Many methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in Korea possess a specific profile of staphylococcal enterotoxins in that the toxic shock syndrome toxin gene (tst) coexists with the staphylococcal enterotoxin C gene (sec). Because the analysis of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), a mobile genetic element mecA gene encoding methicillin resistance, showed that majority of these are SCCmec type II, these MRSA isolates with tst and sec may be genetically related with each other. This study was performed to investigate the genetic relatedness of tst-and sec-harboring MRSA strains isolated in Korea by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Methods

A total of 59 strains of MRSA isolates of SCCmec type II possessing tst and sec were selected for PFGE and phylogenetic analyses. These isolates were collected from 13 health care facilities during nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in 2002.

Results

The 59 MRSA isolates were clustered into 11 PFGE types, including one major group of 26 strains (44.1%) isolated from 7 healthcare facilities. Seven PFGE types contained 2 or more isolates each, comprising 55 isolates in total.

Conclusions

Most of SCCmec type II MRSA isolates containing tst and sec showed closely related PFGE patterns. Moreover, MRSA isolates collected from different healthcare facilities showed identical PFGE patterns. These findings suggested a clonal spread of MRSA strains possessing tst and sec in Korean hospitals.

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistance, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, SCCmec, Staphylococcal enterotoxin C, Toxic shock syndrome toxin, Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

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Fig. 1.
Dendrogram showing the PFGE patterns of SCCmec II isolates containing sec and tst. Also shown are the corresponding SCCmec types and 12 hospital origins.
Abbreviations: PFGE, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; SCCmec, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec; PFT, pulsed-field type.
kjlm-27-118f1.tif
Table 1.
Characteristics of PFGE types, SCCmec subtypes, and isolated hospitals of tst- and sec-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates. PFGE types were classified by the similarity genetic coefficiency of 80%
PFGE type N of isolates (N=59) SCCmec subtype (N of isolates) Hospitals (N of isolates)
I 26 II (3), IIB (23) A (7), B (4), C (8), D (1), H (2), I (1), J (3)
II 3 IIB (3) B (2), D (1)
III 5 II (1), IIA (1), IIB (3) A (2), E (1), G (2)
IV 7 II (5), IIB (2) A (1), D (2), G (2), H (1), L (1)
V 5 II (1), IIA (1), IIB (3) B (3), H (1), I (1)
VI 1 IIA (1) A (1)
VII 1 IIB (1) D (1)
VIII 1 IIB (1) D (1)
IX 6 IIB (6) E (2), F (3), K (1)
X 1 IIB (1) F (1)
XI 3 II (2), IIB (1) E (2), I (1)

Abbreviation: PFGE, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

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