Abstract
Many Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epi) strains isolated from patients with catheter related infections produce an extracellular "slime". This slime probably mediates adhesion of this bacterium to plastic, inhibits the lymphoproliferative response to polyclonal activators and may prevent serum opsonins or polymorphonuclear phagocytes from functioning normally. To examine its effects on opsonization, increasing amounts of staphylococcal slime were added to pooled human serum (PHS), radiolabeled S. epi (2 strains) or E. coli (ON2), and incubated in this mixture for 15 min/37°. The washed bacteria were incubated in fluid phase with PMN's for varying times and the percent of cell associated bacteria determined. Slime decreased the percent of cell associated S. epi and E. coli in a dose dependent manner and killing of E. coli was markedly decreased. To examine its effects on phagocyte function, slime was added in increasing amounts to PMN's to which radiolabeled S. epi and E. coli preopsonized in PHS alone were then added. Slime interfered in a dose dependent manner with PMN uptake of preopsonized S. epidermidis but did not alter PMN uptake nor killing of preopsonized E. coli. We conclude that slime 1) interferes with opsonization of both S. epi and E. coli and 2) that it interferes with PMN phagocytosis of preopsonized S. epi but not preopsonized E. coli. These findings may relate to the persistence of S. epi catheter associated infections.
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Regelmann, W., Gray, E., Thomas, P. et al. STAPHYLOCOCCAL EPIDERMIDIS SLIME EFFECTS ON BACTERIAL OPSONIZATION AND PMN LEUKOCYTE FUNCTION. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 284 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01147
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01147