Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, full text: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]
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Accessory Gene Regulator (agr) Dysfunction in Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Isolates from Korean Patients
Yong Pil Chong a,d, Eun Sil Kim a,d, Su-Jin Park a,d, Ki-Ho Park a,d, Tak Kim a,d, Mi-Na Kim b, Sung-Han Kim a, Sang-Oh Lee a, Sang-Ho Choi a, Jun Hee Woo a, Jin-Yong Jeong c,d,* and Yang Soo Kim a,d,*
Author Affiliations: <SUP>a</SUP>Department of Infectious Diseases <SUP>b</SUP>Department of Laboratory Medicine <SUP>c</SUP>Asan Institute for Life Sciences <SUP>d</SUP>Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Genetics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
ABSTRACT
We describe the genetic and microbiological characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream isolates with agr dysfunction from a tertiary-care hospital in Korea. Of these, ST5-SCCmec type II-agr group II MRSA isolates, which are known to be prevalent in hospital-acquired infections in Korea, were the most abundant, due to clonal spread of a specific agr-defective lineage. This finding suggests that the loss of agr function may confer a potential advantage in a hospital setting. Clonal spread of a specific agr-defective strain was not observed among community-associated MRSA or methicillin-susceptible S. aureus clones, regardless of community or hospital acquisition of infection. agr-defective clones including ST5- and ST239-MRSA were enriched for heteroresistant vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus.
FOOTNOTES
*Corresponding Author: Yang Soo Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1, Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. Tel: +82-2-3010-3303; Fax: +82-2-3010-6970. E-mail: yskm@amc.seoul.kr
*Jin-Yong Jeong, PhD, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea. Tel: +82-2-3010-4105; Fax: +82-2-3010-4182. E-mail: jyjeong@amc.seoul.kr (J.-Y. Jeong).
Copyright ? 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
-Yong Pil Chong a,d, Eun Sil Kim a,d, Su-Jin Park a,d, Ki-Ho Park a,d, Tak Kim a,d, Mi-Na Kim b, Sung-Han Kim a, Sang-Oh Lee a, Sang-Ho Choi a, Jun Hee Woo a, Jin-Yong Jeong c,d,* and Yang Soo Kim a,d,*
Author Affiliations: <SUP>a</SUP>Department of Infectious Diseases <SUP>b</SUP>Department of Laboratory Medicine <SUP>c</SUP>Asan Institute for Life Sciences <SUP>d</SUP>Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Genetics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
ABSTRACT
We describe the genetic and microbiological characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream isolates with agr dysfunction from a tertiary-care hospital in Korea. Of these, ST5-SCCmec type II-agr group II MRSA isolates, which are known to be prevalent in hospital-acquired infections in Korea, were the most abundant, due to clonal spread of a specific agr-defective lineage. This finding suggests that the loss of agr function may confer a potential advantage in a hospital setting. Clonal spread of a specific agr-defective strain was not observed among community-associated MRSA or methicillin-susceptible S. aureus clones, regardless of community or hospital acquisition of infection. agr-defective clones including ST5- and ST239-MRSA were enriched for heteroresistant vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus.
FOOTNOTES
*Corresponding Author: Yang Soo Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1, Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. Tel: +82-2-3010-3303; Fax: +82-2-3010-6970. E-mail: yskm@amc.seoul.kr
*Jin-Yong Jeong, PhD, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea. Tel: +82-2-3010-4105; Fax: +82-2-3010-4182. E-mail: jyjeong@amc.seoul.kr (J.-Y. Jeong).
Copyright ? 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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