No relationship between the cell surface hydrophobicity of coagulase-negative staphylococci and their ability to adhere onto fluorinated poly(ethylene-propylene)

Abstract

The cell surface hydrophobicity of 14 encapsulated and 21 non-encapsulated coagulasenegative staphylococci (CN staph) as determined with the salt aggregation test (SAT) as well as with the xylene-water method ranged widely. Non-encapsulated strains adhered well onto fluorinated poly(ethylene-propylene) (FEP), irrespective of the hydrophobicity of the cell surface. The ability of the encapsulated strains to adhere onto FEP differed also considerably, but no correlation between the number of adherent bacteria and the cell surface hydrophobicity was observed.

Comparison of bacterial and tissue cell initial adhesion on hydrophilic/hydrophobic biomaterials

“…It is surprising that the adhesion of S.aureus and S.epidermidis slightly changed with°s v in the range of 26.9 and 63.1 erg cm ¡2 and that both bacteria showed approximately the same adhesion percentage at the end of 24 h cultivation period. In another study, Brokke et al found no correlation between the number of adherent S.epidermidis and cell surface hydrophobicity on uorinated poly(ethylenepropylene) surfaces [20]. Recently, Gottenbos et al investigated the initial adhesion of S.epidermidis and P.aeruginase on different biomedical polymers [21].…”