title: Specific immune response to staphylococcal antigens during long-lasting biomaterial implantation.
abstract: Biomaterial-associated infections caused by staphylococci are one of the main therapeutic problems in modern medicine. There is no doubt that local disfunction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages predisposes to such infections. However, it is not clear how implantation of a foreign body influences the antibacterial immune response. We analyzed some parameters of the specific immune response to staphylococcal antigens, in mice implanted for 3 months with heparinized polyethylene. Three weeks before the evaluation of the immune response, mice (implanted and non-implanted) were infected i.p. with 2 x 10(7) cells of Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1. The proliferation of splenocytes was determined on the basis of [3H]thymidine incorporation in cultures stimulated with staphylococcal lipoteichoic acid, protein A, alpha-toxin, or phytohemagglutinin. Moreover, the level of specific antibodies to staphylococcal antigens was determined in serum samples (ELISA with the antigens lipoteichoic acid, protein A, and alpha-toxin). The data obtained indicate that long-lasting implantation caused evident changes in proliferative activity of lymphocytes and in humoral response to staphylococcal antigens. It enhanced spontaneous and lipoteichoic acid- or alpha-toxin-stimulated proliferation of splenocytes, in vitro. In contrast, heparinized polyethylene-implanted animals showed a significant decrease in the production of anti-protein A IgG2b and anti-alpha-toxin IgG2a and IgG2b.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Biology, University of Lódź, Poland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rudnicka
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sadowska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ljungh
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rózalska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D020007:Implants, Experimental / Q000382:microbiology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D011095:Polyethylenes; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000276:immunology; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011095:Polyethylenes; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D013682:Teichoic Acids; C009900:lipoteichoic acid; D006493:Heparin; D010738:Type C Phospholipases