Virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus strains causing infective endocarditis--a comparison with strains from skin infections.

• The objective was to study potential bacterial virulence factors in S. aureus endocarditis. S. aureus strains isolated from patients with well-classified episodes of infective endocarditis (IE) (n=26) were compared with control S. aureus strains from consecutive patients with skin infections (n=30). The potential virulence factors studied were Staphylococcal enterotoxin A-D (SEA, SEB, SEC, SED) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) production and binding capacity to the extracellular matrix proteins: fibronectin, collagen type I, collagen type II and bone sialoprotein (BSP). None of the potential virulence factors studied was more prevalent among the IE strains. BSP binding was more often found in the control group with skin infections. Endocarditis patients with previous damage of the heart valves were more often infected by strains not producing any enterotoxin. No correlation was found between the potential bacterial virulence factors studied and IE. Concerning the toxins known to act as superantigens (SEA-E and TSST-1), the tendencies in this and other studies indicate that a larger study group might identify them as pathogenic factors in a subgroup of staphylococcal endocarditis.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Infektionsmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Infectious Medicine (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Adolescent

Adult

Aged

Aged

80 and over

Bacterial Toxins

Child

Preschool

Collagen

metabolism

Endocarditis

Bacterial

microbiology

Enterotoxins

analysis

Female

Fibronectins

metabolism

Humans

Infant

Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein

Male

Middle Aged

Sialoglycoproteins

metabolism

Skin

microbiology

Staphylococcal Infections

microbiology

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

microbiology

Staphylococcus aureus

chemistry

metabolism

pathogenicity

Superantigens

Virulence

infective endocarditis

MEDICINE

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

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