Panton Valentine Gene in both Community-acquired and Healthcare-acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Ain Shams University Hospitals

Abstract

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major pathogen that is associated with both hospital and community infections. Panton Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is an important virulence factor of S. aureus that is considered by many authors a marker of community acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA). Aim of the Work This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PVL genes among healthcare acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) and CA-MRSA isolates, and to test the hypothesis that PVL is a reliable marker of CA-MRSA isolates. Material and Methods This comparative cross-sectional study was done on fifteen community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) and fifteen hospital acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA), obtained from patients attending outpatient clinics, presenting with community-acquired pyogenic infections and patients with healthcare acquired pyogenic infections in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), during the period from May 2017 till February 2018. Clinical specimens included pus and different body fluids. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated and identified using conventional microbiological methods3. Isolates were then tested for methicillin resistance by culture on mannitol salt agar (MSA) with cefoxitin4. The presence of mecA and pvl genes in all MRSA isolates was subsequently detected by PCR5,6. Results Among 15 HA-MRSA isolates, mecA gene was positive in 40% (6/15) of isolates, while pvl gene was positive in 53.3% (8/15) of isolates. Among 15 CA-MRSA isolates, mecA gene was positive in 46.7% (7/15) of isolates, while pvl gene was positive in 26.7% (4/15) of isolates. Conclusion We conclude that pvl gene is not a sole genetic marker for diagnosis CA-MRSA, as there was no significant correlation between mecA that encodes for methicillin resistance and pvl genes among fifteen CA-MRSA isolates (P value =1).