Enhanced bacterial adhesion on surfaces pretreated with fibrinogen and fibronectin

The effect of certain plasma proteins on the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis on polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, or glass was investigated. Test surfaces were treated with serum, plasma, albumin, immunoglobulin G, fibrinogen, or fibronectin. Using a specially designed test chamber, surfaces previously treated with test proteins were incubated with bacterial suspension. During the experiment, the test chamber was placed on a rotator to prevent settling of bacteria. At the end of the experiment, each test well was rinsed repeatedly to remove non-adherent bacteria. The number of bacteria adherent to the test surfaces was quantitated by a combination of methods including microscopic counting of cells, scintillation counting and autoradiography. It was noted that a greater number of bacteria adhered to surfaces coated with fibrinogen or fibronectin whereas surfaces treated with serum showed reduced bacterial adhesion. The inhibitory effect of serum appeared more pronounced with S. epidermidis when compared with P. aeruginosa under identical experimental conditions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that adherent bacteria were randomly distributed on the test surfaces and appeared to replicate while still adherent. These observations suggested that bacterial adhesion to biomaterials can be significantly influenced by the composition of the adsorbed proteins at the interface.