title: Vitamin E blended UHMWPE may have the potential to reduce bacterial adhesive ability.
abstract: Biomaterial-associated infection (BAI), a clinical problem resulting in septic failure of joint replacement implants, is initiated by bacterial adhesion, often by Staphylococcus epidermidis. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a material of choice for joint replacement; reducing the adhesion of S. epidermidis to the polymer could be a means to decrease infection. We examined the adhesion of two ATCC and one clinical strain of S. epidermidis to standard polyethylene (PE), vitamin E blended UHMWPE (VE-PE), and oxidized UHMWPE (OX-PE) after different incubation times: a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in the adhered staphylococci on VE-PE and a significantly higher incidence of the dislodged biofilm bacteria on OX-PE was observed compared with that registered on PE. With attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy before and after suspension in bacterial medium for 48 h, new absorptions were observed mainly in OX-PE, indicating adsorption of protein-like substances on the polymer surface. We hypothesized that the different hydrophilicity of the surfaces with different chemical characteristics influenced protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion. These results may have clinical implications concerning the prevention of septic loosening: the VE-PE could have the potential to reduce S. epidermidis adhesive ability if the preliminary data observed in these selected strains is further confirmed, as diversity among clinical strains is well known.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Turin, Via Santena 9, 10126 Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banche
authors.forename: Pierangiola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bracco
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bistolfi
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Allizond
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boffano
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cimino
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cuffini
authors.forename: Elena Maria Brach
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Del Prever
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000382:microbiology*; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D011095:Polyethylenes; C111601:ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; D014810:Vitamin E