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Antibiotic resistance in exopolysaccharide-forming Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates from orthopaedic

Carla Renata Arciola1, Davide Campoccia, Simonetta Gamberini

  • 1Research Unit on Implant Infections, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy. carlarenata.arciola@ior.it

Biomaterials
|June 14, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Staphylococcus epidermidis causes implant infections and shows increasing antibiotic resistance. Exopolysaccharide production in these bacteria is linked to higher resistance to several antibiotics, including aminoglycosides and ciprofloxacin.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic pathogen frequently causing implant-associated infections.
  • This pathogen is known for its ability to form biofilms and exhibits growing antimicrobial drug resistance.
  • Orthopaedic implant infections pose a significant clinical challenge due to treatment difficulties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the antibiotic resistance patterns of clinical Staphylococcus epidermidis strains isolated from orthopaedic implant infections.
  • To determine the prevalence of resistance to 16 different antibiotics.
  • To explore the association between exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, relevant to biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance in S. epidermidis.

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of 342 clinical S. epidermidis isolates from orthopaedic implant infections.
  • Testing of isolate susceptibility to a panel of 16 different antibiotics.
  • Assessment of exopolysaccharide production to evaluate its link with antibiotic resistance.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 10% of isolates were sensitive to all tested antibiotics.
  • High resistance rates were observed for penicillin, ampicillin, cefazolin, and cefamandole (over 80%).
  • Exopolysaccharide-producing strains showed significantly higher resistance to aminoglycosides, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin, and were more prone to multidrug resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Staphylococcus epidermidis strains from orthopaedic implant infections display significant antimicrobial resistance, particularly to beta-lactams.
  • Exopolysaccharide production is associated with increased antibiotic resistance in S. epidermidis, highlighting its role in treatment failure.
  • Understanding these resistance mechanisms is crucial for managing implant-associated infections.

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