Biofilm and the role of the ica operon and aap in Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates causing neurosurgical meningitis.
Fifty-five Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates, classified as contaminants or causing device-related meningitis, from external ventricular drain (EVD) and non-EVD cerebrospinal fluid specimens were characterized. Thirty-three of 42 (78.6%) meningitis isolates were PCR-positive for ica and aap, known determinants of polysaccharide- and protein-mediated biofilm production, whereas five of 13 (38.5%) contaminants were ica- and aap-negative; 71.4% of meningitis isolates and 84.6% of contaminants produced biofilm. ica+aap+ meningitis isolates produced more biofilm than ica+aap- isolates (p 0.0020). ica+aap- isolates did not produce more biofilm than ica-aap+ isolates (p 0.4368). Apparently, ica and aap are associated with biofilm production in S. epidermidis device-related meningitis isolates.
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Education & Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. nstevens@rcsi.ie
N T
NT
Stevens
M
M
Tharmabala
T
T
Dillane
C M
CM
Greene
J P
JP
O'Gara
H
H
Humphreys
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D018441:Biofilms; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009876:Operon; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial