Abstract
Aim: We designed a novel approach based on real-time PCR followed by high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis to determine the Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusstrains, which we compared against the results of conventional multiplex PCR SCCmec typing. Methods: Multiplex PCR (for ccr and mec gene complexes) was carried out as conventional method. The HRM analysis was then designed using standard strains of each SCCmec type. Results: The M-PCR results included types III (33.33%), IV (43.33%) and V (23.33%). HRM analysis was able to distinguish all five types, which were used to set up the protocol with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% compared with the conventional method. Conclusion: This novel method for SCCmec typing has high specificity and sensitivity and can be conducted in a shorter period of time at lower costs.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
This research was based on an MSc thesis supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences (grant no. 35167). The authors have no other financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.