Abazar Pournajaf1, Abdollah Ardebili2, Leyla Goudarzi3, Mahmoud Khodabandeh4, Tahmineh Narimani5, Hassan Abbaszadeh6. 1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. 3. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. 4. Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 5. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 6. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluated the PCR for mecA gene compared with the conventional oxacillin disk diffusion method for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) identification. METHODS: A total of 292 S. aureus strains were isolated from various clinical specimens obtained from hospitalized patients. Susceptibility test to several antimicrobial agents was performed by disk diffusion agar according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The PCR amplification of the mecA gene was carried out in all the clinical isolates. RESULTS: Among antibiotics used in our study, penicillin showed the least anti-staphylococcal activity and vancomycin was the most effective. The rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus prevalence determined by oxacillin disk diffusion method was 47.6%; whereas, 45.1% of S. aureus isolates were mecA- positive in the PCR assay. CONCLUSIONS: This study is suggestive that the PCR for detection of mecA gene is a fast, accurate and valuable diagnostic tool, particularly in hospitals in areas where methicillin-resistant S. aureus is endemic.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluated the PCR for mecA gene compared with the conventional oxacillin disk diffusion method for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) identification. METHODS: A total of 292 S. aureus strains were isolated from various clinical specimens obtained from hospitalized patients. Susceptibility test to several antimicrobial agents was performed by disk diffusion agar according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The PCR amplification of the mecA gene was carried out in all the clinical isolates. RESULTS: Among antibiotics used in our study, penicillin showed the least anti-staphylococcal activity and vancomycin was the most effective. The rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus prevalence determined by oxacillin disk diffusion method was 47.6%; whereas, 45.1% of S. aureus isolates were mecA- positive in the PCR assay. CONCLUSIONS: This study is suggestive that the PCR for detection of mecA gene is a fast, accurate and valuable diagnostic tool, particularly in hospitals in areas where methicillin-resistant S. aureus is endemic.
Entities:
Keywords:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Oxacillin disk diffusion; PCR; mecA gene
Authors: Phuti E Makgotlho; Marleen M Kock; Anwar Hoosen; Ruth Lekalakala; Shaheed Omar; Michael Dove; Marthie M Ehlers Journal: FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol Date: 2009-07-22