title: Host defence against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms by polymorphonuclear neutrophils: oxygen radical production but not phagocytosis depends on opsonisation with immunoglobulin G.
abstract: Bacterial biofilms are increasingly recognised as a major cause of persistent infection and destructive inflammatory processes. In patients with biofilm infection, massive infiltration of leukocytes, particularly polymorphonuclear neutrophils is seen, and previous in vitro studies showed that PMN were able to phagocytose Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. We now addressed the question whether opsonisation of biofilms with immunoglobulin G and complement enhances the efficiency of phagocytosis, as it has been shown for "free-living" planktonic bacteria and other particulate materials. We found that incubation of biofilms with normal human serum resulted in IgG binding and in complement activation with deposits on the biofilm of C3bi. This "opsonisation", however, did not affect the adherence of PMN to the biofilms nor did it enhance degranulation or phagocytosis. The clearance of biofilms, however, was increased, and the oxygen radical production by the PMN depended critically on the coating of biofilms with IgG.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Immunologie der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 305, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stroh
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meyle
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Gertrud Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hänsch
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D003167:Complement Activation; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D003165:Complement System Proteins