Biofilm Formation on Dental Implant Biomaterials by Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

Implants made of ceramic and metallic elements, which are used in dentistry, may either promote or hinder the colonization and adhesion of bacteria to the surface of the biomaterial to varying degrees. The increased interest in the use of dental implants, especially in patients with chronic systemic diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF), is caused by an increase in disease complications. In this study, we evaluated the differences in the in vitro biofilm formation on the surface of biomaterials commonly used in dentistry (Ti-6Al-4V, cobalt-chromium alloy (CoCr), and zirconia) by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with CF. We demonstrated that S. aureus adherence and growth depends on the type of material used and its surface topography. Weaker bacterial biofilm formation was observed on zirconia surfaces compared to titanium and cobalt-chromium alloy surfaces. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy showed clear differences in bacterial aggregation, depending on the type of biomaterial used. Over the past several decades, S. aureus strains have developed several mechanisms of resistance, especially in patients on chronic antibiotic treatment such as CF. Therefore, the selection of an appropriate implant biomaterial with limited microorganism adhesion characteristics can affect the occurrence and progression of oral cavity infections, particularly in patients with chronic systemic diseases.

TiAl6V4 Alloy Surface Modifications and Their Impact on Biofilm Development of S. aureus and S. epidermidis

“…A study by Palka et al (2020) [26] also conclusively showed that rougher surfaces promote the susceptibility to microbial adhesion, amongst other bacterial species as well as for S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Similar findings, but for different base materials (Ti6Al4V, CoCr alloy and zirconium), have been reported by Minkiewicz-Zochniak et al, 2021 [24]. The cell count determination by means of flow cytometry was carried out to answer two questions.…”

“…In addition, biocompatibility [19] and resistance to bacterial infections [12,[20][21][22] can be positively influenced by those newly developed materials. As mentioned above, S. aureus and S. epidermidis are especially prone to cause device-related infections, and they are used in many biofilm-related studies in the field of orthopedics [6,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

Effect of Low Amperage Electric Current on Staphylococcus Aureus—Strategy for Combating Bacterial Biofilms Formation on Dental Implants in Cystic Fibrosis Patients, In Vitro Study

“…Although these biomaterials were selected by us, they are also available and popular in dentistry. Our [ 34 ] laboratory studies have also shown that biofilms from S. aureus isolated from adult patients with CF can be reproducibly grown on the surface of implant biomaterials.…”

“…Among the 33 clinical strains of S. aureus identified in previous studies [ 34 ], 3 clinical strains of S. aureus were selected with their ability to form a biofilm classified as strong, moderate, weak, and non-producers. These strains were obtained from the sputum samples of patients diagnosed with CF and treated at the Department of Microbiology, National Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Research Institute (Warsaw, Poland), Culture Collection, Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland).…”

“…The strains of S. aureus were assessed for their ability to form biofilms and were classified as strong, moderate, weak, and non-producers. The colorimetric assay of biofilm formation using crystal violet staining was performed as previously described [ 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”