Biomaterial-Associated Persistence of Staphylococcus epidermidis in Pericatheter Macrophages

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 181; no. 4; pp. 1337 - 1349
• Main Authors: Boelens, J. J., Dankert, J., Murk, J. L., Weening, J. J., van der Poll, T., Dingemans, K. P., Koole, L., Laman, J. D., Zaat, S. A. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.04.2000; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteremia - etiology; Bacteria; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacteriology; Biocompatible Materials; Biological and medical sciences; Biomaterials; Biopsies; Blood; Catheters; Catheters, Indwelling - adverse effects; Catheters, Indwelling - microbiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Indwelling catheters; Infections; Inflammation - microbiology; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interleukin-1 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-6 - biosynthesis; Macrophages; Macrophages - microbiology; Major Article; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbiology; nylon; Nylons; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Povidone; silicon elastomer; Silicone Elastomers; Staphylococcal Infections - etiology; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Staphylococcus epidermidis - isolation & purification; Staphylococcus epidermidis - physiology; Surface Properties; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; Tissue culture techniques; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Iatrogenic; Pathogenesis; Catheter; Inflammation; Infection; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Complication; Micrococcaceae; Biomaterial; Staphylococcal infection; Macrophage
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/315369

Biomaterial surfaces may be modified to reduce bacterial adhesion. The susceptibility in mice to Staphylococcus epidermidis infection in tissue surrounding the commonly used catheter materials—silicon elastomer (SE), polyamide (PA), and their surface-modified polyvinylpyr-rolidone (PVP)—grafted derivatives, SE-PVP and PA-PVP, respectively—was assessed. Abscesses developed around SE-PVP. Around SE, PA, and PA-PVP catheters, no signs of infection were observed, although mice carrying PA-PVP developed septicemia after 14–21 days. S. epidermidis was cultured from the tissue surrounding PA-PVP segments. Cells around PA-PVP segments containing large numbers of bacteria were identified as macrophages by use of immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. This persistence of intracellular bacteria was also observed around SE-PVP, SE, and PA catheters, although to a lesser extent. The cytokine profiles around the 4 materials were different. Implanted biomaterial induces an inflammatory response favorable to the persistence of S. epidermidis. Intracellular persistence of bacteria inside macrophages may be a pivotal process in the pathogenesis of biomaterial-associated infection.