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ROLE FOR BIOFILMS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Book chapter

ROLE FOR BIOFILMS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Garth D Ehrlich, Fen Z Hu and J Christopher Post
Microbial Biofilms, pp 332-358
16 Jun 2004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/9781555817718.ch18

Abstract

biofilms candidal vaginosis chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) prostatitis
This chapter examines the mutualistic, commensal, and parasitic roles that biofilms play in human biology and health by using an organ system/medical specialty approach. Recently there has been a growing awareness that a number of nondevice‐related chronic inflammatory conditions are, in fact, also biofilm‐related. Many of these conditions, including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), otitis media, and prostatitis, are highly visible and prevalent diseases. Antibiotic sensitivities are generally determined by observing the zone of planktonic growth inhibition around a disc containing the antibiotic of interest. This chapter deals primarily with two topics: (i) how the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of biofilm bacteria has provided the data for the development of a new conceptual framework for the understanding of chronic infections and (ii) the medical effects of biofilm formation on host tissues and implanted medical devices. The cardinal clinical feature of bacterial biofilms is their refractoriness to nearly all host defense mechanisms and conventional therapeutics, including antibiotics. The removal of a single prosthetic joint due to biofilm infection is followed by the intravenous administration of hundreds of thousands of dollars of antibiotics. Bacterial and candidal vaginosis result when there is a disruption of the normal vaginal flora resulting in overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

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