Real-time PCR followed by high-resolution melting analysis - a new robust approach to evaluate SCCmec typing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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 aureus strains, which we compared against the results of conventional multiplex PCR SCCmec typing. 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. 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. This novel method for SCCmec typing has high specificity and sensitivity and can be conducted in a shorter period of time at lower costs.