HEPARIN SURFACE-TREATMENT OF POLY(METHYLMETHACRYLATE) ALTERS ADHESIONOF A STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS STRAIN - UTILITY OF BACTERIAL FATTY-ACID ANALYSIS

Bacterial adhesion on biomaterials is an important cause of associated infection. Many authors have studied the adhesion mechanisms of bacte ria on biomaterials. These studies were useful in making materials mor e and more refractory to bacterial adhesion. We analysed the gas chrom atographic modifications of structural fatty acids of a Staphylococcus aureus strain after adhesion on two polymers, poly(methylmethacrylate ) (PMMA), whose biological compatibility is known, and heparin-surface -modified PMMA (HSM-PMMA). We noted changes to the chromatographic pea ks peculiar to the fatty acids of S. aureus for each tested material a nd particularly for HSM-PMMA.