INFLUENCE OF STRAIN, BIOMATERIAL, PROTEINS, AND ONCOSTATIC CHEMOTHERAPY ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS-EPIDERMIDIS ADHESION TO INTRAVASCULAR CATHETERS IN-VITRO

Initial adhesion of four phenotypically different strains of Staphyloc occus epidermidis to 16 silicone, polyurethane, or hydrophilic polyure thane catheters was assessed in vitro by a bacterial radiolabeling met hod. The effect of catheter exposure to plasma proteins, to an antican cer polychemotherapy (5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide), or to both of them was determined. Bacterial adhesion on native cathet ers was dependent on the hydrophobicity of both bacteria and catheters . The four strains tested adhered preferentially to silicone catheters (p < 0.05); adhesion was moderate to polyurethane surfaces, whereas t he least adhesion was obtained for hydrophilic polyurethane catheters. Adsorption of plasma proteins on the surface produced a marked decrea se in adhesion on silicone (-66.2%; p < 0.001) and polyurethane (-32.8 %; p < 0.01) catheters and a marked increase in adhesion on hydrophili c surfaces (+91.7%; p < 0.05). Chemotherapeutic treatment of the cathe ter produced a slight but not significant decrease in adhesion on sili cone (-17.4%) and polyurethane (-19.8%) catheters and a marked increas e in adhesion on hydrophilic polyurethanes (+148.2%; p < 0.001). The i n vitro simulation of catheter use suggested that oncostatic drugs and plasma proteins play an important role in S. epidermidis adhesion to intravascular catheters. Overall, bacterial adhesion is lowest on hydr ophilic polyurethane catheters before and after simulation of catheter use.