THE ADHERENCE OF ORAL ISOLATES OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE TO HELA-CELLS - AN IN-VITRO METHOD USING IMAGE ANALYSIS

An in vitro model and an image analysis were designed to improve on ex isting quantification methods in the assessment of the adherence of En terobacteriaceae to human epithelial cell monolayers. Adherence to HeL a cell monolayers of three oral isolates and one type strain from each of four species of Enterobacteriaceae over two incubation time period s was examined. Correction for actual cell area and a cube root transf ormation of the data to stabilize variance were applied. While behavio ur varied between strains within species, E. cloacae was the most, and K. pneumoniae the least, adherent species irrespective of the incubat ion period. Increasing the incubation period from 30 min to 60 min res ulted in greater adherence for E. cloacae, E. coil, and C. freundii, b ut not K. pneumoniae strains. The method permits the reliable measurem ent and valid analysis of the adherence of Enterobacteriaceae to cultu red epithelial cell monolayers.