The Association of Panton-Valentine leukocidin and mecA Genes in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates From Patients Referred to Educational Hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus, an important human pathogen is one of the main causative agents of nosocomial infection. Virulence genes play a major role in the pathogenicity of this agent and its infections. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates are major challenge among infectious agents that can cause severe infections and mortality. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus produces a unique type of Penicillin Binding Protein 2a (PBP2a) that has low affinity for β-lactam antibiotics. Most of the MRSA bacterial strains can also produce a leukotoxin as Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) that increases the virulence of MRSA strains and can cause severe necrotic pneumonia. The presence of pvl gene is a genetic marker for the MRSA populations. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the association of pvl and mecA genes in clinical isolates of MRSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty MRSA isolates were collected from 200 clinical samples from three different educational hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran, and identified by biochemical tests including catalase, oxidase, tube coagulase, mannitol fermentation, and sensitivity to furazolidone, resistance to bacitracin, PYR test and Voges-Proskauer test. Their resistance to methicillin was evaluated using the disc diffusion method. DNA was extracted by boiling and then the presence of pvl and mecA genes was investigated by the polymerase chain reaction method using specific primers. RESULTS: The results revealed that mecA and pvl genes were positive for 15 (30%) and 3 (6%) of the isolates, respectively. None of mecA positive isolates was positive for pvl gene. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded from these results that fortunately the prevalence of pvl gene is low in MRSA isolates in this region and there is no association between the presence of pvl and mecA genes in these isolates.