Different clones of methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) Staphylococcus aureus have been found in humans as well as in animals and retail meat. However, more information about the genetic characteristics and similarities between strains is needed. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Staphylococcus aureus from humans, and to compare their characteris...

BACKGROUND When Staphylococcus aureus is isolated in urine, it is thought to usually represent hematogenous spread. Because such spread might have special clinical significance, we evaluated predictors and outcomes of S. aureus bacteriuria among patients with S. aureus bacteremia. METHODS A case-control study was performed at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County among adult inpatients ...

BACKGROUND Glycerol monolaurate (GML), a 12 carbon fatty acid monoester, inhibits Staphylococcus aureus growth and exotoxin production, but is degraded by S. aureus lipase. Therefore, dodecylglycerol (DDG), a 12 carbon fatty acid monoether, was compared in vitro and in vivo to GML for its effects on S. aureus growth, exotoxin production, and stability. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Antimicro...

The human complement system is important in the immunological control of Staphylococcus aureus infection. We showed previously that S. aureus surface protein clumping factor A (ClfA), when expressed in recombinant form, bound complement control protein factor I and increased factor I cleavage of C3b to iC3b. In the present study, we show that, compared to the results for the wild type, when iso...

BACKGROUND The clinical course of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection is unpredictable and bacterial virulence, host immune response and patient characteristics are among the factors that contribute to the clinical course of infection. To investigate the relationship between cytokine response and clinical outcome, circulating cytokine levels were investigated in response to S. aureus bl...

Staphylococcus aureus is frequently the initial bacterium isolated from young cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, and yet its role in CF disease progression has not been determined. Recent data from our lab demonstrates that S. aureus can invade and replicate within the CF tracheal epithelial cell line (CFT-1). Here we describe the finding that the fate of internalized S. aureus in CFT-1 cells diffe...

BACKGROUND Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus plays an important role in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections. Anterior nasal region is a primary origin of S. aureus. In longitudinal studies, three types of S. aureus nasal carriers can be distinguished: persistent carriers, intermittent or transient carriers, and noncarriers. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to determine the d...

PURPOSE Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of invasive infections, yet most assessments of prevalence are based on health care-based samples. We computed population-based estimates of nasal carriage of S aureus and risk factors for carriage, as well as population-based estimates of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). METHODS We used the National Health and Nutrition ...

BACKGROUND The CA-MRSA infections have emerged in many parts of the world over the past decade. To our knowledge, the prevalence of CA-MRSA infections in Thai patients is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine an epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections in hospitalized patients in Siriraj Hospital and the prevalence of infections caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant...

Staphylococcus aureus, the most common cause of wound infection, produces several exotoxins, including superantigens (SAgs). SAgs are the potent activators of the immune system. Given this unique property, we hypothesized that SAgs produced by S. aureus in wounds would have local, as well as systemic immunologic effects. We tested our hypothesis using a novel staphylococcal skin wound infection...