INHIBITION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS ADHERENCE TO BIOMATERIALS BY EXTRACELLULAR SLIME OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS-EPIDERMIDIS-RP12

Adherence of selected strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci to v arious biomaterials, and the inhibition of their adherence by extracel lular slime obtained from the RP12 strain of Staphylococcus epidermidi s were studied in vitro. S. epidermidis RP12 adhered considerably more to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) discs than did the SP2 strain of S. hominis and the SE-360 strain of S. hyicus. Strain RP12 was less adher ent to titanium alloy, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE ), and Teflon discs than to PMMA discs. Exposure of PMMA discs to extr acellular slime extracted from strain RP12 greatly reduced adherence o f strain RP12, SP2, SE-360, and S. epidermidis RP-62A. The active comp onent(s) was present in the >10 kD mol wt fraction obtained by Amicon YM10 ultrafiltration of crude slime; heat treatment of the fraction di d not affect its inhibitory activity. When the bacteria and RP12 slime fractions were added simultaneously to the PMMA discs, the >10 kD mol wt fraction of slime competitively inhibited adherence of strain RP12 to PMMA discs; in contrast, the <10 kD mol wt fraction enhanced adher ence of strain RP12 to PMMA discs. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.