Laboratory Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (8): 799-805.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8640.2026.08.013

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Distribution characteristics of virulence genes of Staphylococcus aureus causing bloodstream infections

YU Jiajia, LIU Ying()   

  1. Department of Clinical LaboratoryXinhua Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai 200092, China
  • Received:2024-04-17 Revised:2026-04-30 Online:2026-08-30 Published:2026-08-24
  • Contact: LIU Ying

Abstract:

Objective To understand the distribution characteristics of virulence genes carried by different types of Staphylococcus aureus causing bloodstream infections in adults and children. Methods A total of 91 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from blood culture samples,preserved in the Microbiology Laboratory of Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,were collected,including 44 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and 47 methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA). All the isolates were determined by multilocus sequence typing(MLST),and they were determined for 25 virulence genes,and the carriage of virulence genes among different Staphylococcus aureus ST types was analyzed in combination with clinical data from infected patients. Results The determination rates of hemolysin genes hla and hlg,as well as the adhesion-related gene ica,were all 100.0% among the 91 Staphylococcus aureus isolates,and etb and see genes were not determined. Totally,5 adhesion-related genes had determination rates >50%. The average number of virulence genes carried by ST1,ST5 and ST22 was higher than that of ST398 and ST188(P<0.001). The determination rates of PVLclfA and clfB in the isolates from children were higher than those from adults(P values were <0.001,0.037 and 0.039,respectively),and the determination rates of fnbAsdrCsdrD and sdrE in the isolates from adults were higher than those from children(P values were 0.027,0.033,0.003 and 0.002,respectively). The determination rates of tstsdrEsea and sec in MRSA were higher than those in MSSA(P values were 0.006,0.039,0.042 and <0.001,respectively),while the determination rates of can and clfB in MSSA were higher than those in MRSA(P values were <0.001). The determination rate of seg in the intensive care unit(ICU) was higher than that in non-ICU(P=0.04). The determination rate of fnbB in Staphylococcus aureus from implantation infections was higher than that in Staphylococcus aureus from non-implantation infections(P=0.003). Conclusions Staphylococcus aureus causing bloodstream infections carry a number of virulence genes,and the carriage of virulence genes by different ST types,populations and inpatient wards of Staphylococcus aureus shows significant differences.

Key words: Staphylococcus aureus, Virulence gene, Adhesion factor, Hemolytic toxin, Enterotoxin, Bloodstream infection

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