Comparative study of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from lesional and non-lesional skin of atopic dermatitis patients

The skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) is often colonized by Stap hylococcus aureus, and superantigenic exotoxins produced by the organism ar e thought to be an important precipitating factor of AD. However, there are few reports comparing the characteristics of S, arrreus isolated from the lesional and non-lesional skin of identical AD patients. Tn this study, the refore, we examined whether the presence of superantigen-producing S, arrre us correlates with the formation of eczematous lesion of AD patients. The d etection rate of S, aureus on the lesional skin of AD patients was higher t han on the non-lesional skin of AD patients. Furthermore, the bacterial cel l count of S, aureus on the lesional skin of AD patients was also significa ntly higher than that of the non-lesional skin of AD patients. However, the re was no significant difference between the detection rate of superantigen ic exotoxin-producing S, aureus on the lesional and nonlesional skin of AD patients. These results suggest that the number of S, aureus present is mor e important in the formation of eczematous lesion of AD patients than the p resence of superantigenic exotoxin-producing S, aureus strains per se.