Microbial adhesion and biofilm formation by Candida albicans on 3D-printed denture base resins

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 10; p. e0292430
• Main Authors: Silva, Marcela Dantas Dias da, Nunes, Thais Soares Bezerra Santos, Viotto, Hamile Emanuella do Carmo, Coelho, Sabrina Romão Gonçalves, Souza, Raphael Freitas de, Pero, Ana Carolina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 04.10.2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3D printing; Adhesion; Adhesives; Analysis; Biofilms; Biology and Life Sciences; Candida albicans; Colonization; Confocal microscopy; Contact angle; Dental materials; Dentures; Design; Energy; Engineering and technology; Fluorescence; Free energy; Health aspects; Hygiene; Hypotheses; Metabolism; Microbial mats; Microorganisms; Physical Sciences; Polymerization; Prostheses; Research and Analysis Methods; Resins; Scanning microscopy; Surface properties; Surface roughness; Thickness; Three dimensional printing; Virulence; Brazil; United States > US; New Jersey
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292430
• ISSN: 1932-6203

This study evaluated surface properties and adhesion/biofilm formation by Candida albicans on 3D printed denture base resins used in 3D printing. Disc-shaped specimens (15 mm x 3 mm) of two 3D-printed resins (NextDent Denture 3D+, NE, n = 64; and Cosmos Denture, CO, n = 64) and a heat-polymerized resin (Lucitone 550, LU, control, n = 64) were analyzed for surface roughness (Ra [mu]m) and surface free energy (erg cm.sup.-2). Microbiologic assays (90-min adhesion and 48-h biofilm formation by C. albicans) were performed five times in triplicate, with the evaluation of the specimens' surface for: (i) colony forming units count (CFU/mL), (ii) cellular metabolism (XTT assay), and (iii) fluorescence and thickness of biofilm layers (confocal laser scanning microscopy). Data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests ([alpha] = 0.05). LU presented higher surface roughness Ra (0.329±0.076 [mu]m) than NE (0.295±0.056 [mu]m) (p = 0.024), but both were similar to CO (0.315±0.058 [mu]m) (p = 1.000 and p = 0.129, respectively). LU showed lower surface free energy (47.47±2.01 erg cm.sup.-2) than CO (49.61±1.88 erg cm.sup.-2) and NE (49.23±2.16 erg cm.sup.-2) (p<0.001 for both). The CO and NE resins showed greater cellular metabolism (p<0.001) and CO only, showed greater colonization (p = 0.015) by C. albicans than LU in the 90-min and 48-hour periods. It can be concluded that both 3D-printed denture base resins are more prone to colonization by C. albicans, and that their surface free energy may be more likely associated with that colonization than their surface roughness.