title: Adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus to a hydrophobic biomaterial.
abstract: The relative surface charge and hydrophobicity of 16 strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis showed large variations. For this species no relationship between the two surface parameters was found. A highly negative surface charge was observed in all seven encapsulated strains (one S. epidermidis and six Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains). The adhesion of the staphylococci to fluorinated polyethylene-propylene films was not related to the relative surface charge and the hydrophobicity of the bacteria. On films pre-exposed to human plasma, the bacterial adhesion was substantially reduced. Mechanisms involved in the adhesion of coagulase-negative staphylococci to this biomaterial are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006801:Humans; D010949:Plasma; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene