A COMPETITIVE ASSAY FOR BACTERIAL AND CELLULAR ADHERENCE TO BIOMATERIALS: AN IN VITRO APPROACH TO THE “RACE FOR THE SURFACE” THEORY

Summary StatementDescription of an original in vitro protocol for assessing combined bacteria and cell competitive adherence on the surface of biomaterials of medical interestObjectivesBiomaterial-related infections are a major clinical problem. The pathogenesis of this syndrome has been described as a competitive adherence between bacteria and human cells in the so-called “race for the surface” theory. The aim of this study is to develop an in vitro protocol method that can be used to investigate this competence and its implications in the development of materials aimed to be used in orthopedic surgery.MethodsAn in vitro study was performed using as a substrate a surface of chemically polished Ti6Al4V (CP) alloy ELI grade, according to the standard ASTM F136-02. For bacterial adhesion studies we used S. aureus 15981 and S. epidermidis ATCC 35984 strains. Bacteria were inoculated in tryptic soy broth with 5% CO2. After overnight culture, bacteria were centrifuged for 10 min at 3500g at 22°C. Supernatant w...