title: Polymer surface properties and their effect on the adhesion of Proteus mirabilis.
abstract: A problem encountered in patients undergoing long-term catheterization of the urinary tract is that of encrustation and blockage of the catheter by crystalline bacterial biofilms. This is principally caused by the action of the urease-producing pathogen Proteus mirabilis. A major aim of this work is to develop materials resistant to encrustation. Here, the effects of polymer surface properties on the adhesion of P. mirabilis are examined. Spin-coated polymer films were characterized through contact angle measurements to give the Lifschitz-van der Waals, electron acceptor and electron donor terms of the surface free energy, gamma(s)LW, gamma(s)+ and gamma(s)- respectively. A parallel-plate flow cell was used to assess adhesion to these polymer films of P. mirabilis suspended in an aqueous phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, ionic strength 0.26 mol/kg. P. mirabilis was found to adhere significantly less (p < 0.02) to films of agarose, poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) and cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) than to more hydrophobic materials. These polymer films were found to be strongly electron donating, i.e. possessing large gamma(s)-. Films examined using scanning electron microscopy mostly showed no evidence of roughness down to a scale of 1-10 microm. The better performance is thought to be due to a repulsive interaction with the bacterial surface caused by acid/base-type interactions.
authors.affiliation: IRC in Polymer Science and Technology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Downer
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Feast
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stickler
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011512:Proteus Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers