TABLE 1.

Serum samples used in the study

Subject group	Study group	Age (yr)	No. of samples	Source
Healthy subjects (n = 309)a	Infants	≤1	20	BioreclamationIVT
	Young children	2–10	21	BioreclamationIVT
	Adolescent	11–20	49b	BioreclamationIVT
	Adults	21–60	185b	BioreclamationIVT
	Elderly	61–75	34b	BioreclamationIVT
Uninfected patients (n = 60)	Dialysis	27–78	30	BioreclamationIVT
	Prior to elective surgery	20–86	30	BioreclamationIVT
Patients with confirmed S. aureus infection (n = 200)c	Surgical-site infection	18–83	100	Duke University
	Dialysis infection	23–84	100	Duke University

^aNasal colonization and methicillin susceptibility status of colonizing S. aureus isolates were assessed in a subgroup of 200 healthy subjects as described in the text.

^bSubjects aged 20 years (n = 10), adults (n = 185), and elderly subjects (n = 34) composed a subgroup of healthy control donors (n = 229; aged 20 to 75 years).

^cDescribed previously (36).