PCR investigation of Panton-Valentine leukocidin, enterotoxin, exfoliative toxin, and agr genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from psoriasis patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM Staphylococcus aureus colonization is a determiner of disease activation in psoriasis patients. Here we evaluate the presence of genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), enterotoxins, TSST-1, exfoliative toxins, and the accessory gene regulatory locus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in S. aureus isolates obtained from healthy and diseased skin regions and anterior nares of psoriasis patients and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS The presence of PVL and toxin genes was investigated, and agr typing was performed by PCR. RESULTS Eighteen of the isolated strains carried the sei, 1 carried the seb-sec, and 1 carried the seg enterotoxin gene. Eight of the strains carrying enterotoxin genes were isolated from nasal swabs, 6 from diseased skin swabs, and 4 from healthy skin swabs. None of the strains isolated from the control group carried the agr locus. On the other hand, 11 of the S. aureus strains isolated from the patients carried type 1, 7 carried type 1 + 3, 4 carried type 2, 4 carried type 3, and 1 carried type 1 + 2 agr loci. CONCLUSION Enterotoxin production and the carried accessory gene regulatory locus may be important in the aggravation of psoriasis.