Adhesion of Aspergillus spp. to biomaterials
Author:
A. Gonçalves Rodrigues, S. Silva, M. Vale, R. Araujo, C. Pina-Vaz
Date: 24 May 2002
Abstract:
Introduction:The incidence of deep seated aspergillosis is increasingly growing in critical care patients, withmost of the pathogenic mechanisms remaining yet unknown. Adherence to liquid hydrocarbons isconsidered an indirect method to assess microbial cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), which isbelieved to have an important role in the adherence of pathogenic microorganisms to host cell orforeign surfaces, namely plastic.Objective:To determine the potential ability of clinical isolates of Aspergillus to adhere and colonize thesurface of medical indwelling devices, namely plastic and silicon rubber.Materials and methods:Both resting and germinated spores (5 and 11 days old) of clinical isolates of A. fumigatus (threestrains), A. niger (two strains) and A. flavus (two strains) were assayed (in an assay forhydrocarbon adhesion 1) for the capacity to adhere to n-hexadecane and xylene. The adhesion tosilicon (silicon oil) was assayed according to a previously developed assay 2. All tests were run intriplicate.Results:Non-germinated spores showed a significant adhesion to n-hexadecane and xylene and similarlyto silicon, which did not change significantly with age. However, following germination and initialhyphal growth, both CSH and silicon adhesion increased significantly, in all tested strains.Conclusions:Aspergillus shows a promoted adhesion to biomaterials of plastic nature as well as siliconmaterials, like vascular catheters or peritoneal shunts, particularly following hyphae formation.Such a fact may be evoked to help to explain colonization and infection of medical indwellingdevices like those seen in critical care patients.
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