Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for hard-to-treat infections. The presence of 19 virulence genes in 120 MRSA isolates obtained from hospitalized patients and genetic relationships of these isolates were investigated. The eno (100%) and ebps (93.3%) genes encoding laminin- and elastin binding proteins, respectively, were ubiquitous. Other adhesion genes: fib (77.5%), fnbB (41.6%), bbp (40.8%), cna (30.8%) encoding proteins binding fibrinogen, fibronectin, bone sialoprotein and collagen, respectively, and map/eap (62.5%), encoding Eap, were also frequent. The etB and etD genes, encoding exfoliative toxins, were present in 15.6% and 12.5% isolates, respectively. The splA, splE and sspA, encoding serine protease were detected in 100%, 70.8% and 94.2% isolates, respectively. The tst gene, encoding toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 was found in 75% isolates. The cna, map/eap and tst genes were the most common in wound isolates and much less common in blood isolates. We identified 45 different spa types, t003 (21.7%) and t008 (18.8%) being the most common. The t003 was the most frequent among isolates from the respiratory tract (35.5%), while t008 in blood isolates (40%). Identification of virulence factors of MRSA is important for evaluation of pathogen transmission rate and disease development.