Genomics of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis from Periprosthetic Joint Infections and Correlation to Clinical Outcome
Margarita Trobos, Rininta Firdaus, Karin Svensson Malchau, Jonatan Tillander, Dimitrios Arnellos, Ola Rolfson, Peter Thomsen, Íñigo Lasa
Abstract
This study addresses the presence and frequency of particular genetic variants and virulence factors found in staphylococcal bacteria causing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the hip and knee to ascertain their clinical relevance as predictors of treatment failure. We characterized the genetic virulence traits of a large collection of clinical staphylococci isolated from patients with PJI and evaluated their association with the patient's infection outcome. The results showed that S. aureus strains that produced strong biofilms and S. epidermidis strains with resistance to several antibiotics associated significantly with unresolved infection. Some particular genetic variants associated with biofilm formation and multidrug resistance. These traits should be considered important risk factors for the diagnosis and treatment guidance in PJI.