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Virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus and their involvement in clinical syndromes

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Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen responsible for a variety of toxin-mediated and suppurative diseases. About 50 staphylococcal virulence factors have been described to date. In this review, we examine the clinical implications of key staphylococcal virulence factors in toxin-mediated diseases, septic shock, and severe focal infections such as arthritis, infective endocarditis, pneumonia acquired during mechanical ventilation, and necrotizing pneumonia. Staphylococcal pathogenicity is sometimes due principally to a single virulence factor, as in toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing pneumonia. In contrast, several virulence factors are involved in other staphylococcal disease, such as septic shock. A better knowledge of the mechanism of action of each virulence factor involved in the different staphylococcal diseases could open the way to the use of specific inhibitors in the clinical setting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM E0230, Faculté de Médecine Laennec, Centre National de Référence des Staphylocoques, 7 rue Guillaume Paradin, 69008, Lyon, France

    Tristan Ferry MD

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  1. Tristan Ferry MD
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  2. Thomas Perpoint MD
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  3. François Vandenesch MD, PhD
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  4. Jerome Etienne MD, PhD
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Ferry, T., Perpoint, T., Vandenesch, F. et al. Virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus and their involvement in clinical syndromes. Curr Infect Dis Rep 7, 420–428 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-005-0043-8

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