Abstract
Objectives Staphylococcus lugdunensis can cause community- and healthcare-associated infections. This study investigated the molecular characteristics of S. lugdunensis isolates collected at our hospital and compared the characteristics of the infectious and commensal isolates.MethodsWe collected the S. lugdunensis isolates between 2003 and 2013. The antimicrobial resistance test, SCCmec typing, accessory gene regulator (agr) typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and δ-like hemolysin activity were performed.ResultsIn total, 118 S. lugdunensis isolates were collected, of which 67 (56.8%) were classified into the infection group and 51 (43.2%) into the commensal group. The oxacillin resistance rate was 36.4%. The most common SCCmec types were SCCmec types V (51.4%) and II (32.6%). In total, 34 pulsotypes were identified. The PFGE typing revealed five clones (pulsotypes A, J, M, N, and P) at our hospital. Pulsotypes A and N caused the spread of high oxacillin resistance. In total, 10.2% (12 of 118) of the isolates lacked δ-like hemolysin activity. Compared with the infection group, the commensal group showed a higher percentage of multiple drug resistance and carried a higher percentage of SCCmec type II (11 of 22, 50% and 3 of 21, 14.3%) and a lower percentage of SCCmec type V (8 of 22, 36.4% and 14 of 21, 66.7%). The commensal group (27 PFGE types) showed higher genetic diversity than did the infection group (20 PFGE types). No difference was observed in the distribution of the five main pulsotypes, agr typing, and the presence of δ-like hemolysin activity between the two groups.ConclusionsFive main clones were identified at our hospital. The commensal group showed higher genetic diversity, had a higher percentage of multidrug resistance, and carried a higher percentage of SCCmec type II and a lower percentage of SCCmec type V than did the infection group.
Highlights
Staphylococcus lugdunensis, belonging to the group of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), was first reported by Freney et al in 1988 [1]
Compared with the infection group, the commensal group showed a higher percentage of multiple drug resistance and carried a higher percentage of SCCmec type II (11 of 22, 50% and 3 of 21, 14.3%) and a lower percentage of SCCmec type V (8 of 22, 36.4% and 14 of 21, 66.7%)
A comparison of the characteristics of the infectious S. lugdunensis and commensal isolates revealed that the commensal group had a higher percentage of multiple drug resistance than did the infection group
Summary
Staphylococcus lugdunensis, belonging to the group of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), was first reported by Freney et al in 1988 [1]. The incidence rate of S. lugdunensis infection was low [2, 3], increasing numbers of patients with S. lugdunensis infective endocarditis have been reported in recent 20 years [4, 5] It has emerged as a pathogen that causes various community- and healthcare-associated infections, such as those of the bloodstream, bones and joints, skin and soft tissues, and the central nervous system [6, 7]. Like other CoNS species, S. lugdunensis is a commensal skin flora of humans [8] It can be transmitted between hospitalized patients and hospital environments and causes invasive infections in patients with impaired skin integrity and indwelling catheters and foreign devices [9, 10]. Little is known about the molecular epidemiology of commensal isolates
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