The Prevalence of ACME-arcA and PVL Genes Among Staphylococcus Aureus Isolates in a Student Population from North-West of Iran

Abstract Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the most prevalent cause of skin infections, especially in colonized individuals. Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and Arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) are known as the most common virulence factors of S. aureus. This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the prevalence of ACME-arcA and PVL genes among S.aureus isolates in the student population. Nasal swab samples were randomly collected from 400 healthy students from Tabriz, Iran. The antibiotic resistance pattern of S.aureus isolates was examined by the disk diffusion method. The presence of ACME-arcA, PVL, and mecA genes was detected by PCR reaction.Results: overall, 15% (60/400) students were nasal carriage of S. aureus and 2.75 % (11/400) were MRSA carriage. The frequency of mecA, ACME-arcA, and PVL genes was 54.54% (36/60), 46.66% (28/60), and 16.66% (10/60) respectively. The prevalence of ACME-arcA and PVL genes was independent of gender (P =0.142, P=0.337, respectively). A notable association was observed between the existence of ACME-arcA gene and the frequency of mecA gene (P <0.05), while the incidence of PVL was independent on mecA. These findings highlight the necessity of monitoring nasal carriers in a healthy community to prevent subsequent infections.