title: Synergistic interactions in mixed-species biofilms of pathogenic bacteria from the respiratory tract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mixed-species biofilms are involved in a wide variety of infections. We studied the synergistic interactions during dual-species biofilm formation among isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolates were cultured as single-species and all possible combinations of dual-species biofilms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 61 A. baumannii biofilms increased by 26-fold when cultured with S. maltophilia isolates; 62 A. baumannii biofilms increased by 20-fold when cultured with S. maltophilia isolates; and 31 P. aeruginosa biofilms increased by 102-fold when cultured with S. maltophilia 106.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Synergy was observed between two isolates, including those that inherently lacked biofilm formation ability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varposhti
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Entezari
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Feizabadi
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000502:physiology*