Ability of slime production Staphylococcus aureus strains obtained from clinical materials

UNLABELLED: Slime production defines the ability of bacterial strains to colonize host tissues and biomaterials. Slime production by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and its role in disease have been studied intensively in recent years. Much less is known about this trait in species Staphylococcus aureus. The objective of the present study was: assessment of the frequency of slime production by examined isolates of S. aureus, estimation of the influence of strains' origin to occurrence of investigated trait, comparison sample method (broth medium) with solid medium method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 62 strains of S. aureus were examined. They were obtained from clinical material taken from patients hospitalized in Regional Centre of Oncology, in Bydgoszcz. Slime production was determined by using Christensen's method and Congo red agar method. RESULTS: 50.0% isolates were able to produce slime. The findings obtained in both methods were comparable (p>0.05). Slime was more frequently produced by strains obtained from biomaterials than from purulent materials (p<0.02). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the obtained results it may be stated that slime production is a very common trait of S. aureus and depends on the origin of the strains.