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Published on: February 9, 2011

Primary skin abscesses are mainly caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains

Pascal del Giudice1, Véronique Blanc, Alexis de Rougemont

  • 1Unité d'Infectiologie-Dermatologie, Hôpital Bonnet, Avenue André Léotard, FR-83700 Fréjus, France. del-giudice-p@chi-frejus-saint-raphael.fr

Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 4, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is frequently found in Staphylococcus aureus strains causing primary skin abscesses. This study highlights PVL-positive S. aureus as a key pathogen in these infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • The role of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) in skin and soft-tissue infections remains unclear.
  • Investigating the prevalence of PVL gene carriage in Staphylococcus aureus is crucial for understanding infection etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene carriage in Staphylococcus aureus strains.
  • To differentiate PVL gene carriage in strains from primary versus secondary skin abscesses.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study conducted from July 2003 to June 2008.
  • Screening of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from skin abscesses for PVL genes.
  • Classification of abscesses as primary (on previously healthy skin) or secondary (all other cases).

Main Results:

  • Fifty-seven patients with S. aureus skin abscesses were analyzed.
  • PVL genes were detected in 70% (40/57) of S. aureus isolates.
  • PVL-positive strains caused 92.7% of primary abscesses versus 12.5% of secondary abscesses (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Primary skin abscesses are predominantly caused by PVL-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains.
  • PVL-producing S. aureus is a significant factor in the pathogenesis of primary skin abscesses.

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