Background & aim: Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a Staphylococcus aureus gamma toxin. There may be a link between Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), as an important cytotoxin found particularly in severe infections. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify Staphylococcus aureus virulence Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and methicillin resistance genes in clinical samples using PCR techniques.

Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, 89 isolates were collected from blood samples and detected as Staphylococcus aureus during the period of 6 months at Ali Ebne AbiTaleb Hospital, Zahedan, Iran. Initially, the case study examples were examined by biochemical tests. Then, based on recognized standards, Staphylococcus aureus isolates were isolated. Afterwards, isolates obtained were confirm by using 16srRNA gene. Subsequently, the antibiotic susceptibility of all isolates to methicillin was determined using Cefoxitin(30µg) disk diffusion and agar screening methods. Finally, the PCR method was used to determine PVL and mecA genes. All results were analyzed by the Chi-square test.

Results: Out of the total 89 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus blood isolates, 26 isolates from wounds and 63 were isolated. Most samples were obtained from female patients. According to the molecular analysis, 47 isolates (82/52%) were mecA gene and resistant to methicillin and 42 strains (47/2%) was methicillin-sensitive. Resistance to vancomycin wasn’t observed in isolates. Erythromycin and Penicillin had the highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance among isolates, respectively. Multi-resistant strains were the most PLV genes frequent. A significant relationship was observed between the resistance and the presence of Pantone Valentin (P≥0 / 05).

Conclusions: Due to the frequency of mecA and PLV genes in resistant and susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and also the distribution of Pantone Valentin gene in resistant strains; therefore, based on the statistical analysis, we can conclude that there may be a connection between these two factors (P≥0 / 05).