Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST80 Induce Lower Cytokine Production by Monocytes as Compared to Other Sequence Types

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains an important cause of nosocomial and community-associated infections due to its ability to produce toxins and evade host’s immune responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of monocytes immune response in terms of cytokines produced after inoculation with different MRSA clones. Thirty-one clinical MRSA strains were selected on the basis of clonal types, accessory gene regulator (agr) groups and toxin genes carriage. Isolates were identified as S. aureus by Gram stain, catalase, coagulase production and PCR for nuc gene. The presence of mecA, lukS/lukF-PV (Panton-Valentine Leukocidin) and tst (Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1) genes, as well as, the determination of agr groups was performed by PCR. Clonality was investigated by means of multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with live bacterial cells for 45 min at a ratio of 1:10. Cells were incubated for 10 h and supernatants were collected. The levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFa), IL-1b, IL-8, IL-6, IL-12p40, IL-10, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-2, were measured by Human Cytokine Multiplex Immunoassay kit. Thirteen strains were tst and 12 lukS/lukF-PV-positive. Seven strains belonged to ST80 and ST225, five to ST30 and ST239, while the remaining seven isolates were grouped together as “other.” Strains belonging to ST80 induced statistically lower levels of TNFa, IL-1b, IL-8, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, and IL-2. PVL-positive strains classified into ST80 clone induced statistically lower concentrations of most cytokines as compared to PVL-positive strains belonging to other clones, tst-positive strains and toxin-negative ones. Strains of agr3 group belonging to ST80 induced statistically lower concentrations of most tested cytokines as compared to agr3 strains not-belonging to ST80, agr2 or agr1. This low induction of immune response by MRSA ST80 cannot be attributed to the presence of neither lukS/lukF-PV nor agr3

Rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus Panton-Valentine leukocidin in clinical specimens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunochromatographic tests

10.1128/JCM.02274-09Journal of Clinical Microbiology4841384-139

High Genetic Diversity among Community-Associated Staphylococcus aureus in Europe: Results from a Multicenter Study

Background: Several studies have addressed the epidemiology of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus (CA-SA) in Europe; nonetheless, a comprehensive perspective remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to describe the population structure of CA-SA and to shed light on the origin of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in this continent. Methods and Findings: A total of 568 colonization and infection isolates, comprising both MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), were recovered in 16 European countries, from community and community-onset infections. The genetic background of isolates was characterized by molecular typing techniques (spa typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing) and the presence of PVL and ACME was tested by PCR. MRSA were further characterized by SCCmec typing. We found that 59 % of all isolates were associated with community-associated clones. Most MRSA were related with USA300 (ST8-IVa and variants) (40%), followed by the European clone (ST80-IVc and derivatives) (28%) and the Taiwan clone (ST59-IVa and related clonal types) (15%). A total of 83 % of MRSA carried Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and 14 % carried the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME). Surprisingly, we found a high genetic diversity among MRSA clonal types (ST-SCCmec), Simpson’s index of diversity = 0.852 (0.788–0.916). Specifically, about half of the isolates carried novel associations between genetic background and SCCmec. Analysis by BURP showed that some CA-MSSA and CA-MRS

Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in European Wildlife

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known colonizer and cause of infection among animals and it has been described from numerous domestic and wild animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus in a convenience sample of European wildlife and to review what previously has been observed in the subject field. 124 S. aureus isolates were collected from wildlife in Germany, Austria and Sweden; they were characterized by DNA microarray hybridization and, for isolates with novel hybridization patterns, by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The isolates were assigned to 29 clonal complexes and singleton sequence types (CC1, CC5, CC6, CC7, CC8, CC9, CC12, CC15, CC22, CC25, CC30, CC49, CC59, CC88, CC97, CC130, CC133, CC398, ST425, CC599, CC692, CC707, ST890, CC1956, ST2425, CC2671, ST2691, CC2767 and ST2963), some of which (ST2425, ST2691, ST2963) were not described previously. Resistance rates in wildlife strains were rather low and mecA-MRSA isolates were rare (n = 6). mecC-MRSA (n = 8) were identified from a fox, a fallow deer, hares and hedgehogs. The common cattle- associated lineages CC479 and CC705 were not detected in wildlife in the present study while, in contrast, a third common cattle lineage, CC97, was found to be common among cervids. No Staphylococcus argenteus or Staphylococcus schweitzeri-like isolates were found. Systematic studies are required to monitor the possible transmission of human- and livestock- associated S. aureus/MRSA to wildlife and vice versa as well as the possible transmission, by unprotected contact to animals. The prevalence of S. aureus/MRSA in wildlife as well as its population structures in different wildlife host species warrants further investigation

Συναισθηματική Νοημοσύνη, Επαγγελματική Ικανοποίηση και Αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα Εκπαιδευτικών

Αντικείμενο της παρούσας ερευνητικής εργασίας ήταν να εξεταστεί η σχέση που υπάρχει μεταξύ της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης, της επαγγελματικής ικανοποίησης και της αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στη διδασκαλία. Όσον αφορά στη δομή της εργασίας, χωρίζεται σε δυο μέρη, στο θεωρητικό και στο εμπειρικό. Αναφορικά με το θεωρητικό μέρος, στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο μελετάται εκτενώς η έννοια της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης, εστιάζοντας στις βασικότερες θεωρίες που έχουν αναπτυχθεί προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση καθώς και στη σημασία της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης. Κατόπιν, στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο γίνεται μια ενδελεχής μελέτη της έννοιας της επαγγελματικής ικανοποίησης και συγκεκριμένα μελετώνται οι διάφορες θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις, τα υπάρχοντα εργαλεία που έχουν κατασκευαστεί για την μέτρηση της επαγγελματικής ικανοποίησης και τέλος οι παράγοντες που την επηρεάζουν. Τέλος, στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο, μελετάται η έννοια της προσωπικής αποτελεσματικότητας, όπως αυτή γίνεται αντιληπτή από τους παιδαγωγούς και τους ψυχολόγους, παρατίθενται τα πορίσματα μελετών σχετικά με τους παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την αποτελεσματικότητα της διδασκαλίας των εκπαιδευτικών και κυρίως την αίσθηση της προσωπικής αποτελεσματικότητας. Εν συνεχεία, στο εμπειρικό μέρος της εργασίας, γίνεται αρχικά αναφορά στη μεθοδολογία της έρευνας που σχεδιάστηκε και υλοποιήθηκε. Για τους σκοπούς της έρευνας, επιλέχθηκαν με την τεχνική της μη τυχαιοποιημένης δειγματοληψίας, εκπαιδευτικοί, ηλικίας 25 έως 65 ετών. Οι συμμετέχοντες συμπλήρωσαν ένα ερωτηματολόγιο το οποίο για να δημιουργηθεί βασίστηκε στις ακόλουθες τρεις μεταβλητές: την συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη, την αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα διδασκαλίας και την επαγγελματική ικανοποίηση των εκπαιδευτικών.The aim of this research study is to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and self-effectiveness in teaching. In terms of the structure of this study, it is presented in two parts: the theoretical and empirical part. In the theoretical part of the study, the first chapter explores the concept of emotional intelligence, focusing on the key theories developed on this concept as well as the meaning of emotional intelligence. The second chapter offers a thorough examination of the concept of job satisfaction and, more specifically, the various theoretical approaches, existing tools that seek to measure job satisfaction, and factors that effect it. Lastly, the third chapter explores the concept of self-effectiveness as defined by educators and psychologists, providing results from studies on factors that impact educators’ teaching effectiveness and primarily their sense of self-effectiveness. Following the theoretical part, the empirical part of this study outlines the methodology of the research that was designed and carried out for this study. For the purposes of this research, educators aged 25-65 were selected using non-random sampling technique. The participants completed a questionnaire which was designed based on the following three variables: emotional intelligence, self-effectiveness in teaching, and educators’ job satisfaction

Human Staphylococcus aureus lineages among zoological park residents in Greece

Staphylococcus aureus is a part of the microbiota flora in many animal species. The clonal spread of S. aureus among animals and personnel in a Zoological Park was investigated. Samples were collected from colonized and infected sites among 32 mammals, 11 birds and eight humans. The genes mecA, mecC, lukF/lukS-PV (encoding Panton- Valentine leukocidin, PVL) and tst (toxic shock syndrome toxin-1) were investigated by PCR. Clones were defined by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), spa type and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Seven S. aureus isolates were recovered from four animals and one from an employee. All were mecA, mecC and tst–negative, whereas, one carried the PVL genes and was isolated from an infected Squirrel monkey. Clonal analysis revealed the occurrence of seven STs, eight PFGE and five spa types including ones of human origin. Even though a variety of genotypes were identified among S. aureus strains colonizing zoo park residents, our results indicate that colonization with human lineages has indeed occurred. © 2015, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli and National Authority for Scientific Research. All right reserved

Human Staphylococcus aureus lineages among Zoological Park residents in Greece

Staphylococcus aureus is a part of the microbiota flora in many animal species. The clonal spread of S. aureus among animals and personnel in a Zoological Park was investigated. Samples were collected from colonized and infected sites among 32 mammals, 11 birds and eight humans. The genes mecA, mecC, lukF/lukS-PV (encoding Panton- Valentine leukocidin, PVL) and tst (toxic shock syndrome toxin-1) were investigated by PCR. Clones were defined by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), spa type and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Seven S. aureus isolates were recovered from four animals and one from an employee. All were mecA, mecC and tst–negative, whereas, one carried the PVL genes and was isolated from an infected Squirrel monkey. Clonal analysis revealed the occurrence of seven STs, eight PFGE and five spa types including ones of human origin. Even though a variety of genotypes were identified among S. aureus strains colonizing zoo park residents, our results indicate that colonization with human lineages has indeed occurred.Keywords: Carriers, Clones, Humans, Staphylococcus aureus, Zoological park