Adhesion of coagulase-negative staphylococci with different surface characteristics onto a hydrophobic biomaterial

Abstract

Implanted prostheses or temporary inserted medical devices are frequently associated with infections. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are most often isolated from such infections (Garvey, 1980). The adhesion of the CNS onto the surface of the devices has been considered to play an essential role in the initiation of infections (Peters et al., 1982; Sugarman, 1982). In this study surface characteristics of various strains of CNS such as hydrophobicity, relative negative surface charge and the presence of capsules, were determined. Subsequently, the adhesion of various strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. saprophyticus onto fluorinated polyethylenepropylene (FEP), a hydrophobic biomateral was studied. Since surfaces of devices after contact with blood or body fluids are rapidly coated with a protein layer (Feijen et al., 1979) we also studied the bacterial adhesion onto FEP pre-exposed to plasma. CNS used in this study were isolated from the skin and from the blood of open heart surgery patients with sepsis or with endocarditis. The strains were classified according to the scheme of Kloos and Schleifer (1975) using the API Staph gallery. In total, 22 strains of S. epidermidis, 21 strains of S. saprophyticus, 10 strains of S. capitis, 10 strains of S. haemolyticus, 8 strains of S. hominis, 4 strains of S. cohnii and 2 strains of S. warneri were identified.