• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.525-531
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• 2005

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial infections and is one of the most commonly isolated bacterial species in the hospital and continues to be an important pathogen in both community and hospital-acquired infection. Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which is associated with hospitals is now being isolated in the community. The purpose of this study is to investigate the carrier rate of S. aureus in the community, antibiotic resistance patterns of the organism, detection of MRSA and mecA gene in MRSA. Ninety strains $(46.4\%)$ of S. aureus were isolated from the nasal specimens of 194 elementary school students. Eighty-nine strains $(98.9\%)$ of 90 S. aureus were resistant to penicilin, 36 strains $(40.0\%)$ to erythromycin, 14 strains $(15.6\%)$ to fusidic acid, 11 strains $(12.2\%)$ to gentamycin, 9 strains $(10.0\%)$ to tobramycin, 5 strains $(5.6\%)$ to oxacillin, 4 strains $(4.4\%)$ to clindamycin, 2 strains $(2.2\%)$ to tetracycline, 1 strains $(1.1\%)$ to fosfomycin. None of $90(0\%)$ S. aureus isolates was resistant to ciprpfloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, levofloxacin, linezolid, moxifloxacin, nitrofurantoin, norfloxacin, rifampicin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin. Five strains $(5.6\%)$ of 90 S. aureus isolates were MRSA. The mecA gene was detected from five MRSA strains by PCR.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.223-227
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• 2014

This study was investigated to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from raw milk samples and to further study on the molecular characteristics of the MRSA isolates. Using Staphylococcus Medium 110, Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from raw milk samples and further identification was carried by Vitek2 system. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics were conducted by serial dilution method according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. For the detection of resistance genes and molecular characterization, PCR reaction was performed by gene specific primers and followed by DNA sequencing. Of the 698 milk samples, 94 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were identified (94 S. aureus/286 Staphylococcus spp.). Of the 94 S. aureus, seven isolates have mecA, a methicillin resistant gene. mecA positive seven isolates were then characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (pvl) gene using PCR. All of mecA positive isolates were resistant to ampicillin and oxacillin, but sensitive to teicoplanin, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. One of seven isolates was SCCmec type II and six isolates were type IV and all seven isolates were pvl gene negative.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to evaluate the photodynamic effect of various photosensitizing agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA was exposed to light from a 632 urn diode laser (15 J/$cm^2$) in the presence of various photosensitizer, such as photofrin, photogem, radachlorine and ALA. In vivo study was performed using ICR mice. Twenty eight mice had a standard wound ($100\;mm^2$) created on the dorsum, and MRSA was inoculated into the wound region. The four groups were classified as follows: (1) the untreated control group (bacteria alone), (2) the bacteria plus light group (15 J/$cm^2$), (3) the bacteria plus photofrin group (kept in the dark), and (4) the photodynamic therapy (PDT) group (bacteria, photofrin, and light). After photofrin (dose 1 mg/kg) injection, the experimental group was irradiated with 632 urn diode laser (15 J/$cm^2$) for 30 minutes after In vitro results of PDT showed the complete killing of MRSA at the photofrin, radachlorine, and photogem However, ALA-PDT was ineffective on MRSA viability. In vivo results showed that photofrin has therapeutic effect on the wound infection. These results demonstrate that selective lethal photosensitization of MRSA can be achieved using phofrin, photogem and radachlorin. Thus, PDT can inactivate MRSA survival.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.395-403
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• 2005

Purpose: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen in the intensive care units (ICUS). The purpose of this case-control study is to identify risk factors for acquisition of MRSA during ICU stays in patients with and without MRSA. Method: The study was conducted in a 16 beds-neurosurgical intensive care unit of a 2200-bed tertiary care university hospital in Seoul, Korea. Medical record and Critical Classification Scoring System were reviewed retrospectively in patients who were admitted more than 3 days from August 1, 2003 to May 30, 2004. Cases and controls were matched for age and gender. The obtained specimens were nasal swab and sputum. Result: There were 950 patients' admissions during the period. Among them, MRSA was isolated from twenty-three patients who were considered as hospital acquired. Artificial airway (p=.045), frequency of suction (p=.002), nasogastric tube (p=.004), wound drain (p=.045), and vancomycin (p=.019) were risk factors for MRSA acquisition in univariate analysis. Frequency of suction (p=.012, OR 3.5) was revealed as the only risk factor in multivariate conditional logistic regression. Conclusion: Our findings give support to recent studies that suggest that frequent physical contact maγ increase the nosocomial acquisition of MRSA in a neurosurgical ICU.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.3 s.83
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• pp.412-419
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• 2007

In the present study, we investigated antimicrobial activity of the medicinal plants against various strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Among the tested, the plants extracts of Asiasarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum, Coptidis rhizoma, Reynoutria elliptica Migo., Solidago virga-aurea var. gigantea Miq.seed exhibited significant antimicrobial activities against MRSA KCCM 11812, 40510 and S. aureus ATCC 25923. The methanol extract of Asiasarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum showed strong antimicrobial activity against MRSA KCCM 11812, 40510 and S. aureus ATCC 25923 at the 5 mg/disc. A synergistic effect was found in combined extracts of Asiasarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum and Coptidis rhizoma as compared to each extracts alone. The result suggests that medicinal plant extracts can be used as an effective natural antimicrobial agent in food.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 2011

Seventy five methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and 24 methicillin- susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) were isolated from clinical specimens obtained from a hospital in Suncheon, Jeonnam province, Korea, from July to December, 2009. Antibiotic resistance was determined using the disc diffusion method. Genes encoding enterotoxin (SE), toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), exfoliative toxin (ET) and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) were detected by multiplex PCR-mediated amplification using specific primers. Sixty (80%) MRSA isolates possessed either one or more toxin genes and the most common pattern that coexisted in MRSA was seb, sec, seg, sei and tst (22.7%) followed by coexistence of sec, seg, sei and tst genes (18.7%). Gene pvl encoding leukocidin was not found. Significant correlation between the production of sec, seg, sei and tst genes was found. MRSAs were resistant to erythromycin (89% of the isolates), gentamicin (70.7%), ciprofloxacin (69.3%), clindamycin (61.3%) and tetracycline (58.7%), while MSSAs were susceptible to the antibiotics with the exception of erythromycin. Toxin genes seb, sec and tst were related to the tetracycline resistance of MRSA.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.444-447
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• 2015

This study was carried out to determine the antibacterial activity of $SeO_2$ against pathogenic bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Using the disc diffusion method, $SeO_2$ showed higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria used in this study. Coccus-form bacteria showed much susceptible to $SeO_2$, compared to bacillus-form bacteria. Compared to antibiotics-susceptible S. aureus, antibiotics used in this study showed lower antibacterial activity against MRSA. As $200-500{\mu}g/disc$ of $SeO_2$ was applied, diameters of clear zone for S. aureus and MRSA were 20-32.7 mm and 13.5-17.9 mm, respectively. For MRSA, minimal inhibitory concentration of $SeO_2$ was $40{\mu}g/ml$. When $SeO_2$ was added in culture broth, cell growth of MRSA was inhibited. These results will be applied to determine antibacterial mechanism of MRSA and other pathogenic microorganisms.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.350-357
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• 2007

This study was conducted in an effort to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and antibiotic-resistant gene regulation from Saliva miltiorrhiza Bunge on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A variety of solvent fractions and methanol extracts of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge were tested in order to determine its antimicrobial activities against S. aureus and MRSA. As a result, the hexane fraction of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge evidenced the highest levels of antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and MRSA. The MICs of the hexane fraction against various MRSA specimens were $64. The hexane fraction evidenced inhibitory effects superior to those of the chloroform fraction. The results showed inhibition zones of hexane (16 mm) and chloroform (14 mm) fractions against MRSA KCCM 40511 at $1,000{\mu}g/disc$. The hexane and chloroform fractions inhibited the expression of the resistant genes, mecA, mecR1, and femA in mRNA. Moreover, the results of Western blotting assays indicated that the hexane and chloroform fractions inhibited the expression of the resistant protein, PBP2a. These results reveal that the hexane and chloroform fractions of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge may prove to be a valuable choice for studies targeted toward the development of new antimicrobial agents.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.51-54
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• 2013

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the important causative microbes for nosocomial infection and has been isolated from the dental environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of linalool and ${\alpha}$-terpineol against MRSA isolates from a Korean population. In the experiments, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of these two compounds against 18 strains of MRSA. The data revealed that the $MIC_{90}/MBC_{90}$ values of linalool and ${\alpha}$-terpineol against MRSA were >12.8 mg/ml and 6.4 mg/ml, respectively. These results indicate that ${\alpha}$-terpineol has more potent antimicrobial activity against MRSA than linalool and may have utility as an anti-MRSA cleansing agent for dental instruments and dental unit chairs.

• Archives of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.143-145
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• 2017

Medical leech therapy is a treatment for the venous congestion of tissue flaps, grafts, and replants. We report a case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) following leech application at a congested flap after mastectomy. A 45-year-old woman had an invasive ductal carcinoma. Modified radical mastectomy was performed. The chest wall defect was reconstructed with a local rotation flap. On postoperative day (POD) 1, congestion and color change were observed, and 10 medical leeches were applied to the congested area. On POD 4, another 10 medical leeches were applied. On POD 12, wound necrosis progressed and a pus-like discharge appeared. A wound swab culture revealed MRSA. Debridement was carried out on POD 15. From POD 16, vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam were injected for 18 days. The wound culture on POD 18 also revealed MRSA. A split-thickness skin graft was performed on POD 28. MRSA has not been clearly identified in the literature as a leech enteric bacterium. Although MRSA may have come from another source, the present case raises the possibility of MRSA infections following leech application at congested flaps. When medical leeches are applied at the congestion site of a flap, an aseptic cradle will be helpful. Vancomycin irrigation may be needed if infection occurs.