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Virulence Determinants in Staphylococcus aureus Clones Causing Osteomyelitis in Italy
Fernanda Pimentel de Araujo1,2, Mattia Pirolo3, Monica Monaco1
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|March 21, 2022
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus clonal complexes (CCs) causing osteomyelitis (OM) in Italy were analyzed. The study found that common CCs in OM mirror general S. aureus hospital epidemiology, with no specific genetic traits explaining their prevalence.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Genomics
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a primary cause of osteomyelitis (OM).
- Understanding the genetic makeup of S. aureus strains causing OM is crucial for infection control and treatment strategies.
- The distribution of clonal complexes (CCs) and virulence factors in S. aureus isolates from OM cases in Italy has not been extensively studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clonal complex (CC) distribution of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from osteomyelitis (OM) cases in Italy.
- To characterize the pattern of virulence determinants in these S. aureus OM isolates.
- To correlate CCs with specific virulence genes and understand their role in OM pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing of 83 S. aureus isolates from OM patients across six Italian hospitals.
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing, identifying methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA).
- Phylogenetic analysis to determine CC groupings and sequence types, alongside analysis of virulence gene presence and distribution.
Main Results:
- The most prevalent CCs were CC22, CC5, CC8, CC30, and CC15, reflecting common S. aureus lineages in Italian hospitals.
- Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates were associated with specific lineages (CC22, CC5, CC8, CC1).
- While some virulence genes correlated with specific CCs, overall virulence factor categories (adhesins, toxins) were common and unevenly distributed across lineages, suggesting functional redundancy.
Conclusions:
- The clonal complex distribution in S. aureus osteomyelitis isolates aligns with the general epidemiology of S. aureus infections in Italy.
- No single genetic trait in the predominant lineages could fully explain their high prevalence in osteomyelitis.
- The findings underscore the importance of understanding the broader epidemiological context of S. aureus CCs in causing various infections, including osteomyelitis.
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