Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is now an established community pathogen in many areas of the United States as well as the world. Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections have changed several aspects of staphylococcal infections in children including the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, laboratory approach, antibiotic management, and prevention.

THE discovery that many strainis of staphylococci produce a toxini (Neisser and XVNlechsberg, 19011; Kraus anid Pibream, 19062; Parker, 19243; and Burnet, 19294) has thrown fresh light on the problem of the treatment of staphylococcal lesions. From staphylococcal toxin, Panton, Valentine, and Dix (1931)5 successfully prepared staphylococcal toxoid. In 1933 Parish6 found that staphylococcal toxo...

There is a high incidence of staphylococcal infection in children with dermatomyositis, which is limited to those children who either already have or subsequently develop calcinosis. Of 15 children followed up for 3-10 years after diagnosis, all nine who developed calcinosis had infections with Staphylococcus aureus compared with none of six without calcinosis. Of these nine, the occurrence of ...

Novel antimicrobials and new approaches to developing them are urgently needed. Repurposing already-approved drugs with well-characterized toxicology and pharmacology is a novel way to reduce the time, cost, and risk associated with antibiotic innovation. Ebselen, an organoselenium compound, is known to be clinically safe and has a well-known pharmacology profile. It has shown potent bactericid...

Staphylococcus aureus carriers with S. aureus bacteremia may have a reduced mortality risk compared to non-carriers. A role for the immune system is suggested. Here, we study in mice the effect of mild S. aureus skin infection prior to endogenous or exogenous S. aureus bacteremia, and evaluate protection in relation to anti-staphylococcal antibody levels. Skin infections once or twice by a clin...

BACKGROUND Staphylococcal species account for more than 50% of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) and antimicrobial therapy with rifampin-based combination regimens has been shown effective. The present study evaluates the safety and efficacy of clindamycin in combination with rifampin for the management of staphylococcal PJI. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, patients were inclu...

Many bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, use a variety of pore-forming toxins as important virulence factors. Staphylococcal alpha-toxin, a prototype beta-barrel pore-forming toxin, triggers the release of proinflammatory mediators and induces primarily necrotic death in susceptible cells. However, whether host factors released in response to staphylococcal infections may incr...

Lysostaphin is being developed as a treatment for serious staphylococcal infections. Mice challenged with S. aureus produce inflammatory cytokines including, TNFand IL-6, and over-production of these cytokines can lead to shock and contribute to the lethality of staphylococcal infections. Two major components of the staphylococcal cell wall, peptidoglycan and lipoteichoic acid, are known to syn...

Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci are microorganisms most frequently isolated from orthopedic-implant-associated infections. Their capacity to maintain these infections is thought to be related to their ability to form adherent biofilms. Poly-N-acetyl-beta-(1,6)-glucosamine (PNAG) is an important constituent of the extracellular biofilm matrix of staphylococci. In the p...

Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci are microorganisms most frequently isolated from orthopedic-implant-associated infections. Their capacity to maintain these infections is thought to be related to their ability to form adherent biofilms. Poly-N-acetyl-(1,6)-glucosamine (PNAG) is an important constituent of the extracellular biofilm matrix of staphylococci. In the presen...