BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Resistance to methicillin and the presence of the ccr gene in Staphylococcus aureus have provided the basis for the emergence of methicillin resistant strains. The aim of this study was to identify the ccr cassette alleles in methicillin-resistant S.aureus strains and to determine the relationship between the presence of these casts with a multivariate process.
METHODS: In this study, 135 clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S.aureus was isolated by genotypic methods. ccr gene cassette was evaluated qualitatively by multiplex PCR method. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 and also, the chi - square test was used.
FINDINGS: Out of 135 strains of S.aureus resistant to methicillin, penicillin and erythromycin antibiotic resistance were the most frequent, more than 90%, respectively. Also, ccr gene cassette in the study on genes ccrA/B1, ccrA/B2, ccrA/B3, ccrA/B4, ccrA2/B, ccrC had taken place, respectively, in 2 isolates (1.3%) for gene ccrA/B1, 12 isolates (8.2%) ccrA/B2, 15 isolates (10.34 %) ccrA/B3, 2 isolates (1.3%) ccrA/B4, 4 isolates (8.2 percent) ccrA2/B and 22 isolates (15.87 %) were positive for the gene ccrC. A significant correlation between the presence of these genes and antibiotic distribution was observed (p=0.05).
CONCLUSION: The ccr gene cassette can provide a background of resistance to various antibiotics in methicillin-resistant S.aureus strains.