Phenotypic and Molecular Detection of Slime Producing Staphylococcus Spp. Obtained from Blood Samples of Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation

Abstract Aim: to investigate the slime production in isolates of Staphylococcus spp., associated with bacteremia in patients after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) and to determine the relationship between the slime production and ica genes carriage, as well as the correlation of ica and methicillin resistance. Materials and methods: Between 2019 and 2020, twenty-one clinically significant Staphylococcus spp. isolates were obtained from blood cultures of 17 patients after HSCT. The species identification and the susceptibility to cefoxitin were determined by BD Phoenix M50. Two phenotypic tests (Congo red agar, CRA; Christensen’s method, TT) and PCR for icaA and icaD were used to detect slime production. A PCR method was also used to detect the mecA, mecC genes. Results: In the studied group of 21 isolates (S. epidermidis, n = 12; S. haemolyticus, n = 4; S. hominis, n = 2; S. aureus, n = 3), the phenotypic tests were positive in 13 isolates. Ten isolates (47.6%) were identified as carriers of ica genes (S. epidermidis, n = 9, and S. haemolyticus, n = 1). Five isolates (23.8%) were detected as slime producers by all three methods. The mecA gene was identified in 18 isolates (85.7%). All ica positive isolates were also mecA carriers. Conclusion: A relatively high proportion of the blood isolates of Staphylococcus spp. were slime producers, associ-ated with ica genes. A combination of both phenotypic and genetic methods should be used to detect alternative routes of slime production. The co-expression of ica and mecA is associ-ated with the occurrence of difficult-to-eradicate isolates.