title: Antibiotic resistance and adhesion properties of oral Enterococci associated to dental caries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enterococci are increasingly associated with opportunistic infections in Humans but the role of the oral cavity as a reservoir for this species is unclear. This study aimed to explore the carriage rate of Enterococci in the oral cavity of Tunisian children and their antimicrobial susceptibility to a broad range of antibiotics together with their adherence ability to abiotic and biotic surfaces.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 17 E. faecalis (27.5%) and 4 E. faecium (6.5%) were detected. The identified strains showed resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Among the 17 isolated E. faecalis, 12 strains (71%) were slime producers and 5 strains were non-producers. Among the 4 E. faecium, 2 strains were slime producers. All the tested strains were able to adhere to at least one of the two tested cell lines. Our result showed that 11 E. faecalis and 2 E. faecium strains adhered strongly to Hep-2 as well as to A549 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drugs resistance and strong biofilm production abilities together with a high phenotypic adhesion to host cells are important equipment in E. faecalis and E. faecium which lead to their oral cavity colonization and focal infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Analyses, Traitement et Valorisation des Polluants de l'Environnement et des Produits, Université de Monastir, Tunisie. bochrak@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Bochra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kouidhi
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zmantar
authors.forename: Kacem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahdouani
authors.forename: Hajer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hentati
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakhrouf
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial