Leukocidin From Staphylococcus aureus and Cutaneous Infections: An Epidemiologic Study

Abstract

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a cytotoxin produced by less than 5% ofStaphylococcus aureusstrains, which act only on human and rabbit polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and monocytes but not on erythrocytes.^1,2Injections of purified PVL into rabbit skin were shown to induce karyorrhexis of PMNs and vascular necrosis, which led to a large ulceration.³To more clearly assess the relationships between PVL production and human pathology, we report a prospective epidemiologic study of 302 Saureusstrains obtained from patients at the Strasbourg (France) University Hospital and tested for PVL production by an agarose double immunodiffusion method. TheS aureusculture conditions and the production of polyclonal PVL antibodies were previously described.² Materials and Methods. Among these 302S aureus strains, 87 were isolated from blood cultures, 184 from cutaneous samples, and 31 from the anterior nares of asymptomatic carriers. The cutaneous samples were taken from 108