title: Occurrence of capsular polysaccharide/adhesin among clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci.
abstract: Clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci were analyzed for elaboration of the capsular polysaccharide/adhesion (PS/A) and extracellular biofilm or slime. Of the 151 analyzed, 103 (68%) produced PS/A and 69 (46%) made extracellular slime; 87% of the slime-producing isolates made PS/A. Among isolates from all clinical infections examined except peritonitis, PS/A-positive isolates bound significantly (P < .001) more colony-forming units after 15 min to 1.5-cm segments of silicone-elastomer catheter than did PS/A-negative isolates. Slime-positive isolates were not more adherent than slime-negative isolates, because 42% of the PS/A-positive isolates were slime-negative. Thus, PS/A expression is common among clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci, accounting for most slime-positive and a proportion of slime-negative isolates.
authors.affiliation: Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiro
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldmann
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Pier
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000737:chemistry*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology*; D003030:Coagulase / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000378:metabolism; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D003030:Coagulase; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial