Atopic dermatitis (eczema)

Comparative molecular analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from atopic dermatitis children and healthy subjects in Taiwan.

Br J Dermatol. 2010 Feb 3;

Authors: Lo WT, Wang SR, Tseng MH, Huang CF, Chen SJ, Wang CC

Summary Background: Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) are more frequently colonized by Staphylococcus aureus than healthy children. Objective: To assess whether any relationship exits between nasal MRSA colonization and subsequent skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI). Methods: From 2005 through 2006, comparative molecular analyses of 23 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)-colonizing isolates from 133 AD children, 44 MRSA-colonizing isolates from 490 healthy controls, and 12 MRSA-infecting isolates from 20 AD children with concurrent SSTI were conducted. Results: Nasal MRSA colonization in AD children was significantly higher compared to normal individuals (17.3% versus 9.0%; P = .01). The molecular characteristics differed significantly between the MRSA isolates from AD children and the MRSA-colonizing isolates from healthy controls. The clone characterized as sequence type (ST)59 (338)/pulsotype B/staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) V(T)/Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive/staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)-positive accounted for half of the MRSA isolates from AD children, and another clone, characterized as ST59/pulsotype A/SCCmec IV/PVL-negative/SEB-positive accounted for 61% of the MRSA-colonizing isolates from healthy controls. Conclusion: We found MRSA colonize the anterior nares of a large number of Taiwanese children, especially among those with AD. Analysis of our data provides evidence that links MRSA-colonizing isolates to MRSA-infecting isolates from concurrent SSTI in AD children.

PMID: 20132206 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]