• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.473-477
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• 2004

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains are resistant to a wide range of antibiotics and are a major cause of nosocomial infections. Accurate and rapid typing of MRSA is needed to implement effective infection control measures. Arbitrarily Primed PCR (AP-PCR) is a very useful method in rapid typing. AP-PCR is not necessary information about target DNA sequence because this is basically DNA amplification and could be useful in epidemiological typing by classified band pattern. In this study, MRSA were isolated and identified from ICU, Neu, IM and Ped environments and investigated molecular typing by AP-PCR. Ped, the MRSA pattern determines the la, IIa type, 1M is Ib type, Neu is IIa type and ICU determines the IIa, lIb types. All MRSA in this study were typeable by AP-PCR, which was easy to perform and reproduce with evidence of MRSA for purposes of nosocomial infection control.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

In an effort to discover an alternative therapeutic agent against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), several medicinal plants and seaweeds were evaluated for its antibacterial activity against MRSA. A methanolic extract of the Phaeophyta Ecklonia stolonifera exhibited significant antibacterial activity against MRSA. To perform more detailed investigation on antibacterial activity, the methanol extract of E. stolonifera was further fractionated with organic solvents such as hexane, dimethylchloride, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Among them, the hexane fraction showed the strongest antibacterial activity against MRSA strains with MIC from 500 to $600 {\mu}g/mL$. The fraction also exhibited a bactericidal activity against MRSA, indicating that E. stolonifera contains a bactericidal substance against MRSA.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.195-207
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• 2021

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial pathogen capable of causing human diseases, such as soft tissue infection, bacteremia, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia, and sepsis. Although the incidence rate of diseases caused by MRSA has declined in recent years, these diseases still pose a clinical threat due to their consistently high morbidity and mortality rates. However, the role of virulence factors in staphylococcal infections remains incompletely understood. Methicillin resistance, which confers resistance to all β-lactam antibiotics in cellular islets, is mediated by the mecA gene in the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). Differences in SCCmec types and differences in their sizes and structures serve epidemiological purposes and are used to differentiate between hospital-associated (HA)-MRSA and community-associated (CA)-MRSA. Some virulence factors of S. aureus are also providing a distinction between HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA. These factors vary depending on the presence of toxins, adhesion, immune evasion, and other virulence determinants. In this review, we summarized an overview of MRSA such as resistance mechanisms, SCCmec types, HA- and CA-MRSA, and virulence factors that enhance pathogenicity or MRSA epidemiology, transmission, and genetic diversity.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2006

Staphyloccus aureus is one of the most important pathogens in clinical settings. It is also one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections and the dissemination of multiple drug-resistant strains, mainly methicillin resistant Staphyloccus aureus, and the recent emergence of a vancomycin resistant MRSA is the concern to hospital worldwide. MRSA strains have acquired multiple resistance to a wide range of antibiotics, including aminoglycosides and macrolides. $\beta$-Lactam resistance of methicillin-resistnat Staphyococcus aureus is determined by the function of penicillin binding protein 2'(PBP2') encoded by the methicillin resistance gene mec A. MRSA strains carry methicillin resistance gene mecA, encoded by a mobile genetic element designated staphylococoal cassette chromosome mec(SCCmec). MRSA clones are defined by the type of SCCmec element and the genotype of the methicilline-susceptible Staphyococcus aureus chromosome in which the SCCmec element is integrated.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2009

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a leading cause of nosocomial infections, has been increasingly recognized in communities of the United States. This article will review the clinical spectrum and treatment of MRSA infections in children in the context of recent epidemiological changes of MRSA infections. In general, community-associated (CA) MRSA most frequently causes skin and soft tissue infections and has an increased association with invasive infections, particularly pneumonia and musculoskeletal infections. Hospital-associated (HA) MRSA strains tend to be associated with bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and surgical site infections. Different from the United States, CA-MRSA infections are not common in Korea (only 5.9%); however, there are some CA-MRSA clones that are different from HA-MRSA clones in Korea and from CA-MRSA clones in other countries. The treatment of MRSA infections should be guided by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the site of infection, and the infection severity. Vancomycin is the treatment of choice for invasive MRSA infections. Other agents such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, and daptomycin have been used for some conditions.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2008

Purpose: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a major clinical problem and one of the major nosocomial pathogen worldwide. The aim of the study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of genotypes of MRSA isolated in the A-hospital ICU. Methods: In the period between December 2007 and May 2008, MRSA was isolated from ICU patients and its surrounding environment. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was conducted for the detection of MRSA gene. The incidence of MRSA in the clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus was examined by using a multiplex PCR. The spa gene of Staphylococcus aureus encodes protein A and is used for typing of MRSA. We used sequence typing of the spa gene repeat region to study the epidemiology of MRSA at a hospital. Results: Two different genotypes of MRSA were identified with 90 isolated from the patients and its surrounding environments in the ICU. Conclusion: This study may contribute to the development of effective strategies for preventing nosocomial infections. Genotyping may have more general application for the study of MRSA epidemic outbreak in hospital and community infection.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.331-339
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• 2010

This study aims to evaluate the effect of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with high-level mupirocin resistance (Hi-Mup MRSA). To examine the antimicrobial effect of photogem-mediated PDT against Hi-Mup MRSA, CFU quantifications, bacteria cell viability tests, and disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility tests were evaluated. In addition, one of PDT mechanisms was investigated by accumulating photogem ($10\;{\mu}g/ml$) in Hi-Mup MRSA. Photogem-mediated PDT properly inhibited the colony formation of Hi-Mup MRSA. Viable bacteria decreased greatly after a PDT application with photogem $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ at energy density $15\;J/cm^2$. The diameter of the inhibition zone around susceptible disks increased after PDT. In addition, we confirmed the accumulation of photogem in bacteria through fluorescent images. These results demonstrated that excellent photosensitization of Hi-Mup MRSA can be achieved using photogem with 630 nm LED irradiation. Thus, PDT may make survival Hi-Mup MRSA inactive.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.278-288
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• 2013

Objectives : Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has a cephalosporin and beta-lactam antibiotic-resistant strains. MRSA is one of the major pathogens causing hospital infection and the isolation ratio of MRSA has gradually increased. Consequently, increased resistance to antibiotics is causing serious problems in the world. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Methods : The antibacterial activities of Ipyo-san were evaluated against 2 strains of MRSA and 1 standard Methicillin-susceptible staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strain by using the disc diffusion method, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) assay, colorimetric assay using MTT test, checkerboard dilution test and time-kill assay performed under dark. Results : The MIC of Ipyo-san water extract against S. aureus strains ranged from 1000 to $2,000{\mu}g/ml$, so we confirmed that it had a strong antibacterial effect. Also, the combinations of Ipyo-san water extract and conventional antibiotics exhibited improved inhibition of MRSA with synergy effect. We suggest that Ipyo-san water extract against MRSA has antibacterial activity so it has potential as alternatives to antibiotic agents. For the combination test, we used Triton X-100 (TX) and DCCD for measurement of membrane permeability and inhibitor of ATPase. As a result, antimicrobial activity of Ipyo-san water extract was affected by the cell membrane. Conclusions : We suggest that the Ipyo-san water extract lead the treatment of bacterial infection to solve the resistance and remaining side-effect problems that are the major weak points of traditional antibiotics.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.269-274
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• 2008

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens. It is associated with hospitals is now being isolated in the community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of photodynamic therapy using Photogem and 630 nm LED on MRSA and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). The broth cultured MRSA and MSSA incubated with various concentrations of Photogem (500,50,5 and $0.5{\mu}g/mL$) for 4 h. Then 630 nm LED was given at $9\;J/cm^2$, $20{\mu}l$ of the exposed bacteria solution was inoculated onto agar plate. Plates were incubated for 24 hand colonies were counted. The PDT group was effective in killing MRSA and MSSA at the Photogem dose of $50{\mu}g/mL$. But MSSA is more sensitive than MRSA in photodynamic effect. Other groups (light only, sensitizer only, or no treatment) observed no bacterial cell killing. These results raise the possibility of using PDT with or without antimicrobial drugs to eradicate MRSA and MSSA. In order to confirm this result, we need to further study bacterial death mechanism and in vivo study.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 2024

In vitro antimicrobial activities of hot water extracts of Chamaecyparis obtuse, for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was compared to commonly used conventional antimicrobial agents. All MRSA was susceptible to linezolid or vancomycin, but also to erythromycin. MIC range and MIC₉₀ to erythromycin, clindamycin, levofloxacin, tetracycline for MRSA were each 4 ㎍/mL, 2 ~ >128 ㎍/mL, ≤0.06 ~ >128 ㎍/mL, 0.25 ~ >128 ㎍/mL, 0.25~64 ㎍/mL and 4 ㎍/mL, .128 ㎍/mL, >128 ㎍/mL, >128 ㎍/mL, 64 ㎍/mL. The hot water extracts of leaf of C. obtuse had the lowest MIC range, MIC₅₀, and MIC₉₀ (0.125 µL/mL) for the MRSA tested, and it was possible more potent than various conventional antimicrobial agents. Screen antibacterial drug candidate with high antibacterial activity such as derivatives of C. obtuse leaf extract such as terpinen-4-ol or using combined therapy with commercialized antibacterial agents will likely be helpful in treating refractory MRSA infections.