&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;vicK&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Gene as Potential Identification Marker for &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Staphylococcus aureus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

Nurmusfirah Morad,Suzana Misbah

doi:10.4236/jbm.2018.611010

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen frequently detected in hospital community and has emerged as an important health concern in human medicine. Identification of S. aureus from clinical specimens by phenotypic methods may produce variable characteristics leading to ambiguity. Hence, a rapid and reliable method for identification of S. aureus is required which could expedite appropriate antibiotic therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the specificity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a signal transduction gene, vicK, among S. aureus isolates of Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. A total of 118 bacterial isolates were screened, which consisted of one hundred S. aureus isolates, ten Staphylococcus spp. and eight non-Staphylococci. Results indicated that PCR targeting vicK was able to identify 98% of S. aureus isolates with high sensitivity and specificity, while the remaining isolates of Staphylococcus spp. and non-Staphylococci did not yield any amplification of the gene. vicK thus, is highly specific within interspecies and intraspecies, which is potential to be used as a molecular identification marker for S. aureus.

Highlights

Staphylococcus aureusis the most important pathogen associated with skin infection and foodborne disease in humans
This study aimed to evaluate the specificity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a signal transduction gene, vicK, among S. aureus isolates of Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
Results indicated that PCR targeting vicK was able to identify 98% of S. aureus isolates with high sensitivity and specificity, while the remaining isolates of Staphylococcus spp. and non-Staphylococci did not yield any amplification of the gene. vicK is highly specific within interspecies and intraspecies, which is potential to be used as a molecular identification marker for S. aureus

Summary

Introduction

Staphylococcus aureusis the most important pathogen associated with skin infection and foodborne disease in humans. Staphylococcus aureus is grouped into the coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CoPS) based on its ability to produce coagulase enzyme, contrasting to the less pathogenic coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS). Recent reports highlighted the increasing significance of CoNS as opportunistic pathogens, S. aureus remains a major health threat in clinical settings [4]. S. aureus has been recognized the most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections, where most infections involved the healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) [5] [6]. The worldwide concern of S. aureus infections increases with recent emergence of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) and livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) which posed a significant impact and economic burden in public health and livestock industry [8] [9] [10]

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