الفهرس 
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Abstract
Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic autoimmune disease that develops loose blisters and erosions on the skin and mucous membranes. Correlation between immunodeficiency, autoimmunity and infection is well known. Immunosuppressive therapy and hospitalization may also predispose PV patients to infections, e.g., MRSA infection which is common in PV patients. The current study included 54 PV patients. We aimed at determining secondary bacterial skin infections in the blisters of PV patients, identifying methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, doing antibiotic sensitivity testing for them and determining the risk factors for acquiring MRSA infections among participant PV patients. Three swabs were taken from each patient (one from pustule, one from vesicle and the third from nose). Samples were collected and processed in the Microbiology Diagnostics and Infection Control Unit, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine. Isolation, identification of bacteria and antibiotics sensitivity tests for S.aureus isolates were done. In the present study, PV mostly occurred in the middle age (46.89 years ± 15.9) with M/F ratio was 1:1.3. Pemphigus vulgaris was common in rural areas and was more in housewives and farmers. Pemphigus disease area index activity score (PDAI) was used to measure the activity and damage produced by PV. Our study indicated high MRSA infection/colonization (35.2%) among PV patients. Diabetes mellitus and HCV were the associating systemic diseases among the studied cases. Other associated infections among the studied patients were superficial fungal infections and herpes simplex. Nosocomial infections were also common in MRSA group of studied patients. This study highlighted that hospitalization, length of hospital stay ≥ 7days, prolonged antibiotic and steroid therapy, history of nosocomial infections and community acquired infections were risk factors for MRSA acquisition. This study also indicated that MRSA may respond to relatively cheaper antibiotics like trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amikacin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin. Potential benefits from this study include application of infection control measures and surveillance, improving treatment, reducing costs and decreasing predisposing risk factors for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.