Experimental foreign-body infection in the biliary tract in rats.
BACKGROUND
Biomaterials used for biliary drainage may potentially result in biomaterial-associated infections.


METHODS
Foreign-body infection in the biliary tract was investigated in rats. Rubber drain pieces were implanted in the biliary tract in rats for 1-4 weeks, followed by challenges with 10(2) to 10(4) colony-forming units (cfu) Escherichia coli injected into the common bile duct. The rate of infection was calculated, the bacterial growth in the biliary tract was observed over 72 h after challenges, and the opsonic activity in bile and in sera was assessed.


RESULTS
In the group with drain material, inocula as small as 10(2) cfu produced persisting infection in the common bile duct in 90% of animals, whereas the same number of E. coli infected only 30% of rats in the control and sham implantation groups (p < 0.01, chi-square test). Complement-mediated opsonic activity in bile of animals with implanted drain pieces gradually decreased with time, whereas opsonic activity in sera from the same animals remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
Implants in the biliary tract impair local host defense, resulting in an increased susceptibility to microbial infection.
Yu
J L
JL
Dept. of Surgery, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
Andersson
R
R
Wang
L Q
LQ
Ljungh
A
A
Bengmark
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000276:immunology; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D007440:Intubation / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D003165:Complement System Proteins