SPECIFIC IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO STAPHYLOCOCCAL ANTIGENS DURING LONG-LASTING BIOMATERIAL IMPLANTATION

Biomaterial-associated infections caused by staphylococci are one of t he main therapeutic problems in modern medicine. There is no doubt tha t local disfunction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages pr edisposes to such infections. However, it is not clear how implantatio n of a foreign body influences the antibacterial immune response. We a nalyzed some parameters of the specific immune response to staphylococ cal antigens, in mice implanted for 3 months with heparinized polyethy lene. Three weeks before the evaluation of the immune response, mice ( implanted and non-implanted) were infected i.p. with 2x10(7) cells of Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1. The proliferation of splenocytes was de termined on the basis of [H-3]thymidine incorporation in cultures stim ulated with staphylococcal lipoteichoic acid, protein A, alpha-toxin, or phytohemagglutinin. Moreover, the level of specific antibodies to s taphylococcal antigens was determined in serum samples (ELISA with the antigens lipoteichoic acid, protein A, and alpha-toxin). The data obt ained indicate that long-lasting implantation caused evident changes i n proliferative activity of lymphocytes and in humoral response to sta phylococcal antigens. It enhanced spontaneous and lipoteichoic acid- o r alpha-toxin-stimulated proliferation of splenocytes, in vitro. In co ntrast, heparinized polyethylene-implanted animals showed a significan t decrease in the production of anti-protein A IgG2b and anti-alpha-to xin IgG2a and IgG2b.