[Investigation of Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene, SCCmec gene cassette types and genotypes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from outpatients].

: The identification of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is becoming a hard task since colonization with MRSA is lasting for years and the number of the health care facilities other than hospitals is continuously increasing. In this study we aimed to investigate the genetic properties and health-care association of MRSA strains isolated from skin and soft tissue infections of outpatients admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital. Thirty strains were phenotypically identified as MRSA and after assessing the risk factors, 28 (93.3%) of them were classified as health-care associated (HCA) and 2 (6.7%) of them as community-acquired (CA). All of the isolates were positive for nuc and mecA genes by polymerase chain reaction. Antimicrobial resistance rates of HCA-MRSA and CA-MRSA isolates were found as follows, respectively; 89.3% and 0% for rifampin, 89.3% and 50% for ciprofloxacin, 89.3% and 0% for gentamicin, 50% and 50% for erythromycin, 28.6% and 0% for clindamycin, whereas all of the isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. SCCmec type III was detected in 24 (85.7%) of HCA-MRSA strains. SCCmec type IV was detected in 1 (3.6%) of HCA-MRSA and in 2 (100%) of CA-MRSA strains. Panton-Valentin leucocidin (PVL) gene positivity was detected in only CA-MRSA isolates (2/2; 100%). MRSA isolates were grouped into 17 different genotypes (from A to R) of which pulsotype A was predominant among HCA isolates and CA-MRSA isolates were found to be clonally related with each other. This is the first study which investigated the genetic properties of MRSA strains in Antalya (a province located at Mediterranean Region, Turkey). In this study HCA risk factors were investigated and CA-MRSA rate was only 6.7% among all MRSA strains isolated from outpatients. As a result of detailed investigation of HCA risk factors, it was possible to detect the exact rate of CA-MRSA among outpatients. Thus it is of clinical and epidemiological importance to know the origin of MRSA isolates since this will affect the empirical treatment choice. Genetic studies supplied by appropriate demographic data will help to clarify the evolution and epidemiology of MRSA in the community and in the hospital setting.