Adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to different restorative materials.

Adherence of oral bacteria to the surface of dental restorative materials is considered an important step in the development of secondary caries and periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the adherence of different restorative materials to Streptococcus mutans strain (CCUG35176) in order to ascertain possible differences. The materials tested ranged across different classes including: flowable composites (Gradia Direct LoFlo; Filtek Supreme XT Flowable), anterior composites (Gradia Direct Anterior), universal composites (Filtek Supreme XT), packable composites (Filtek Silorane; Filtek P60), glass-ionomers (Fuji IX Gp Extra; Equia) and a control reference material (Thermanox plastic coverlips). Bacterial suspension was deposited onto each material and the adhesion was evaluated trough the colony forming units (CFUs) determination. Packable silorane-based composite was found to be less adhesive than posterior packable composite P60, flowable composites and glass ionomers. The fluoride of glass ionomers did not prevent the attachment of S. mutans; furthermore, after roughness analysis and SEM investigations, the hypothesis that the difference in bacterial adhesion can be determined by the particular surface chemistry of the material itself as well as by different electrostatic forces between bacteria and restorative surfaces must be given serious consideration.

Molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus from implant orthopaedic infections: ribotypes, agr polymorphism, leukocidal toxins and antibiotic resistance.

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading pathogen of implant-related infections. In the field of biomaterials a variety of alternative approaches are currently proposed for prophylaxis and treatment of implant infections, but little is known on the role of the different pathogenetic mechanisms and spreading strategies that lead selected S. aureus clones to prevail and become epidemic. This study aimed at identifying and characterizing the major clones in a collection of 200 S. aureus isolates from implant orthopaedic infections. Strain typing by automated ribotyping identified 98 distinct ribogroups. Ribogroups corresponded to specific accessory gene regulatory (agr) polymorphisms and possessed peculiar arrangements of toxins. The agr type II allele was more represented in epidemic clones, while agr type I in sporadic clones. A clear trend was observed, where epidemic clones resisted antibiotics more than sporadic ones. Conversely, the gene for lukD/lukE leukotoxin, found in 68% of the isolates, was unrelated to the level of clonal spreading. Surprisingly, the isolates of the most prevalent ribogroup were susceptible to almost all antibiotics and never possessed the lukD/lukE gene, thus suggesting the role of factors other than antibiotic resistance and the here investigated toxins in driving the major epidemic clone to the larger success.

Relationship between biofilm formation, the enterococcal surface protein (Esp) and gelatinase in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium.

One-hundred and twenty-eight enterococcal isolates were examined for their ability to form biofilm in relation to the presence of the gene encoding the enterococcal surface protein (esp), production of gelatinase and to the source of isolation. Neither esp nor gelatinase seemed to be required for biofilm formation: both Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium did not show a correlation between the presence of either esp or the production of gelatinase and biofilm formation. However, in E. faecium while esp was found in isolates from either source, the presence of both esp and biofilm together was only found in strains from clinical settings, suggesting that there exists a synergy between these factors which serves as an advantage for the process of infection.