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Molecular and imaging techniques for bacterial biofilms in joint arthroplasty infections
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Molecular and imaging techniques for bacterial biofilms in joint arthroplasty infections

Paul Stoodley, Sandeep Kathju, Fen Ze Hu, Geza Erdos, Joshua E Levenson, Nalini Mehta, Bethany Dice, Sandy Johnson, Luanne Hall-Stoodley, Laura Nistico, …
Clinical orthopaedics and related research, (437), pp 31-40
Aug 2005
PMID: 16056023

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus - genetics Staphylococcus epidermidis - ultrastructure Humans Pseudomonas aeruginosa - growth & development Biofilms - growth & development Colony Count, Microbial Staphylococcus epidermidis - genetics Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods Bone Screws - microbiology Diagnostic Imaging - methods Microscopy, Confocal DNA, Bacterial - genetics Prosthesis-Related Infections - microbiology Pseudomonas aeruginosa - genetics Staphylococcus aureus - ultrastructure Staphylococcus epidermidis - growth & development Prosthesis-Related Infections - diagnosis In Vitro Techniques Pseudomonas aeruginosa - ultrastructure Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development Arthroplasty - instrumentation
Biofilm formation on surfaces is an ancient and integral strategy for bacterial survival. Billions of years of adaptation provide microbes with the ability to colonize any surface, including those used in orthopaedic surgery. Although remarkable progress has been made in the treatment of orthopaedic diseases with implanted prostheses, infection rates remain between 1% and 2%, and are higher for revision surgeries. The chronic nature of implant infections, their nonresponsiveness to antibiotics, and their frequent culture negativity can be explained by the biofilm paradigm of infectious disease. However, the role of biofilms in orthopaedic implant infections and aseptic loosening is controversial. To address these issues, we developed molecular diagnostic and confocal imaging techniques to identify and characterize biofilms associated with infected implants. We designed PCR and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR-based assays that can be used to detect bacterial infections associated with culture-negative joint effusions that distinguish between physiologically active Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Using clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we constructed a series of reporter strains expressing colored fluorescent proteins to observe biofilms growing on 316L stainless steel and titanium orthopaedic screws. Three-dimensional structures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococci biofilms growing on the screws were documented using confocal microscopy. The application of these tools for clinical diagnosis and biofilm research in animal and in vitro models is discussed.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Orthopedics
Surgery
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