Analysis of Colonization and Genotyping of Exotoxin of Staphylococcus aureus in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
Background: The skin of atopic dermatitis patients has a high susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus and toxins produced by S. aureus m...
Analysis of Colonization and Genotyping of Exotoxin of Staphylococcus aureus in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
Background: The skin of atopic dermatitis patients has a high susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus and toxins produced by S. aureus may aggravate the atopic dermatitis by acting as superantigens.
Objectives: Purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of skin barrier function, colonization of S. aureus and clinical severity in atopic dermatitis. We also examined the predominant toxin genes produced in patients with atopic dermatitis.
Methods: Thirty-nine patients with atopic dermatitis were evaluated for the clinical severity and skin barrier function by using SCORAD(Severity Scoring in Atopic Dermatitis) index and TEWL(transepidermal water loss). S. aureus was isolated from forearm, popliteal fossa and anterior nares of atopic dermatitis patients, and toxin genes were analyzed by using multiplex PCR(polymerase chain reaction).
Results: TEWL showed a statistically significant correlation with clinical severity in patients with atopic dermatitis(p <0.05). TEWL was correlated with number of S. aureus colonization sites and nasal colonization but these results were not statistically significant. Of the 39 patients, S. aureus strains was isolated in 48.7%. Among them, the predominant toxin gene was sea only, which was produced in 52.6% and followings were coexistence of sea and tsst-1(42.1%) and tsst-1 only(5.3%).
Conclusions: Skin barrier function, measured by TEWL revealed a statistically significant correlation with clinical severity in pateints with atopic dermatitis. The most common toxin gene was sea in Korean atopic dermatitis patients and this might be an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.