Lipolytic activity of Staphylococcus aureus strains from disseminated and localized infections.

Lipase production of 425 S. aureus strains isolated from patients with different clinical diagnoses and healthy carriers were measured by a specific method, using emulsified trioleoylglycerol substrate. Strains isolated from patients with septicemia showed significantly higher lipase activity than osteomyelitis strains (p = 0.011), impetigo strains (p = 0.002) and strains isolated from healthy relatives of patients with recurrent furunculosis (p = 0.019). Recurrent furunculosis and pyomyositis strains had significantly higher (p = 0.002 and 0.032, respectively) lipase activity than septicemia strains. S. aureus strains isolated from patients with a significant antibody response in an antilipase ELISA did not show a higher lipase activity in culture supernatants than strains from patients without a significant antibody response. The lipase activity was significantly higher in strains isolated from deep or subcutaneous infections, i.e., septicemia, pyomyositis, osteomyelitis, aerobic and anaerobic furunculosis, than in strains from superficial infections, i.e. impetigo, or from nasal mucosa.