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Detection of bacterial adherence on biomedical polymers
K Merritt1, A Gaind, J M Anderson
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research
|February 19, 1998
Summary
A new dye elution technique effectively measures bacterial adherence to various materials, aiding in understanding pathogenicity and biofilm formation for medical implants.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Bacterial adherence and biofilm formation are key to pathogenicity, especially for coagulase-negative staphylococci.
- Assessing bacterial adherence to nontransparent materials is challenging with existing methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and validate a dye elution technique for quantifying bacterial adherence.
- To assess the technique's suitability for measuring adherence to diverse materials, including biomedical polymers.
Main Methods:
- The technique involves fixing bacteria with formalin, staining with crystal violet, and eluting the dye.
- Optical density is measured using 96-well plates and an ELISA reader at 540 nm.
- The method was tested with known adherent and non-adherent organisms and different polymers.
Main Results:
- The dye elution technique successfully differentiated between adherent and non-adherent organisms.
- Protein presence was shown to inhibit bacterial adherence.
- The method quantified adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis (PSA+ and PSA-) to various implant-grade materials and polystyrene.
Conclusions:
- The dye elution technique is a suitable and effective method for detecting and quantifying bacterial adherence.
- This method can be used to evaluate bacterial interactions with biomaterials, crucial for preventing implant-associated infections.