Reduction in the adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to native cystic fibrosis epithelium with anti-asialoGM1 antibody and neuraminidase inhibition

The high incidence of colonization of the cystic fibrosis (CF) airway with Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been attributed to several mechanisms including increased numbers of asialoglycolipid receptors, which may be further incre ased by exposure to the bacterial exoproduct, neuraminidase. This study exa mined whether the adherence of P. aeruginosa to fresh CF respiratory epithe lial cells can be reduced ill vitro by anti-asialoGM1 (anti-aGM1) antibody, neuraminidase inhibition, or the use of asialoGM1 tetrasaccharide as a com petitive inhibitor. CF nasal epithelial cells were incubated with a nonmucoid strain of P. aeru ginosa, in the presence or absence of a polyclonal anti-aGM1 antibody, the neuraminidase inhibitor 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (DANA) , or the tetrasaccharide moiety of aGM1, Adherence of bacteria to the apica l surface of ciliated epithelial cells was quantified using scanning electr on microscopy, Incubation of the cells with bacteria in the presence of eit her anti-aGM1 antibody or DANA significantly reduced bacterial adherence by 51(7)%, (p<0.01), and 34(9)%, (p<0.01), respectively, In contrast, no sign ificant effect on P. aeruginosa binding was seen in the presence of aGM1 te trasaccharide. The data are consistent with previous studies on cultured cells, and sugges t that the in vivo effects of such interventions should be explored as pote ntial mechanisms to reduce Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization in cystic fi brosis.