AUTHOR=Jiang Bei , Wang Yinan , Feng Zihan , Xu Lei , Tan Li , Zhao Shuang , Gong Yali , Zhang Cheng , Luo Xiaoqiang , Li Shu , Rao Xiancai , Peng Yizhi , Xie Zhao , Hu Xiaomei 

TITLE=Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL) as a Potential Indicator for Prevalence, Duration, and Severity of Staphylococcus aureus Osteomyelitis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02355

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.02355

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> is the most common cause of the difficult-to-treat osteomyelitis (OM). To better diagnose and manage <italic>S. aureus</italic> OM, especially for severe and long duration cases, indicators for risk prediction and severity evaluation are needed. Here, 139 clinical <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from orthopedic infections were divided into OM group (60 isolates from 60 OM patients) and non-OM group (79 isolates from 79 non-OM patients). Molecular types, antimicrobial susceptibility, and virulence factor profiles were evaluated and compared between the two groups to identify potential indicators associated with the prevalence of <italic>S. aureus</italic> OM. Clinical manifestations and laboratory data were analyzed to identify indicators affecting OM duration and severity. We found that some sequence types were specific to OM infection. The <italic>pvl</italic>, <italic>bbp</italic>, and <italic>ebps</italic> genes were associated with <italic>S. aureus</italic> OM prevalence. The <italic>pvl</italic>, <italic>bbp</italic>, and <italic>sei</italic> genes were associated with relatively longer OM duration. Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive <italic>S. aureus</italic> OM presented more serious inflammatory responses. Our results emphasize the significance of PVL in affecting the prevalence, duration, and severity of <italic>S. aureus</italic> OM. Diagnosing and monitoring PVL-related <italic>S. aureus</italic> OM may help direct better prognosis and treatment of these patients.</p>