TITLE:
Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Causing Bloodstream Infection to the Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37
AUTHORS:
Sinead McNicholaswhj, Hilary Humphreys, Deirdre Fitzgerald Hughes
KEYWORDS:
Staphylococcus aureus; Bloodstream Infection; LL-37
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Microbiology,
Vol.3 No.1,
March
13,
2013
ABSTRACT: Both bacterial and host factors contribute to complicated bloodstream infection (BSI) caused by Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). One bacterial factor that may affect the persistence of S. aureus in complicated BSI is reduced susceptibility to the innate immune defence peptide LL-37. LL-37 susceptibility among S. aureus isolates causing uncomplicated and complicated BSI was investigated. Following incubation with 2.5 μg/ml LL-37 for 1 h, the mean percentage survival was 67.6% and 74.9% for isolates causing uncomplicated and complicated BSI, respectively. Reduced LL-37 susceptibility may contribute to the persistence of S. aureus in complicated BSI.