[Adherence of Acinetobacter baumannii to rat tracheal tissue].
BACKGROUND
Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen whose virulence factors have not been fully elucidated.


OBJECTIVE
To study the adherence and hemagglutinating capacity of several biotypes of Acinetobacter baumannii.


METHODS
Thirty nine strains of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from hospitalized patients were studied. The adherence of these strains to small pieces of rat tracheal tissue was studied. Additionally, their ability to hemagglutinate human erythrocytes and the effect of D-mannose and D-galactose on the adherence and hemagglutinating capacity was assessed. Transmission electron microscopy of strains was performed looking for the presence of fimbriae.


RESULTS
All strains exhibited adherence to tissues. All strains had also D-mannose and D-galactose resistant hemagglutinating ability. Fimbriae were found in Acinetobacter baumannii and E coil cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Adherence of Acinetobacter baumannii to rat tracheal tissue, apparently not related to the presence of fimbriae, may be a virulence mechanism of this bacterium.
Departamento de Microbiología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
M
M
Ruiz
H
H
Bello
M
M
Sepúlveda
M
M
Domínguez
M A
MA
Martínez
M E
ME
Pinto
G
G
González
S
S
Mella
R
R
Zemelman
D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology*