Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of lactobacilli on the adhesion ofStaphylococcus aureus andCandida albicans to fibers and epithelial cells

  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology

Abstract

The ability of organisms to adhere to and form biofilms on fibrous materials is believed to be an important initiating step in the induction of several diseases, such as toxic shock syndrome. Using anin vitro assay, a moderately hydrophobic strain ofStaphylococcus aureus (water contact angle 35°) and a hydrophilicCandida albicans (shown by a hexadecane test) were highly adherent to commercial diaper fibers. The lumen side of the diaper was porous and the fibers were very hydrophobic (>140°), but the internal section was very hydrophilic (0°), presumably for adsorption purposes. There was evidence that adhesion of the pathogens was inhibited when one of fiveLactobacillus strains was present. Surfaces precoated with lactobacilli inhibited staphylococcal adhesion by 26–97%, and candida by 0–67%. When the lactobacilli were used to challenge adherent pathogens, there was 99% displacement of theS. aureus and up to 91% displacement ofC. albicans. HydrophobicL. acidophilus 76 (54°) and T-13 (80°) were the most effective of fiveLactobacillus isolates tested at interference by precoating. The moderately hydrophilicL. casei varrhamnosus GR-1 (33°) was the most effective at displacing the yeast. Experiments with uroepithelial cells also showed that the lactobacilli could significantly interfere with the adhesion of both pathogens to the cells. The results demonstrate the rapidity with which two pathogens adhered to fibers and epithelial cells, and raised the possibility that members of the normal female urogenital flora might interfere with infections caused by these organisms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. berg RW. 1988. Etiology and pathophysiology of diaper dermatitis. Adv Dermatol 3: 75–98.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Berkley SF, AW Hightower, CV Broome and AL Reingold. 1987. The relationship of tampon characteristics to menstrual toxic shock syndrome. JAMA 258: 917–920.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Branting C, ML Sund and LE Linder. 1989. The influence ofStreptococcus mutans on adhesion ofCandida albicans to acrylic surfacesin vitro. Arch Oral Biol 34: 347–353.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Brook I. 1992. Microbiology of secondarily infected diaper dermatitis. Int J Dermatol 31: 700–702.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bruce AW, G Reid, JA McGroarty, M Taylor and C Preston. 1992. Preliminary study on the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in ten adult women using intravaginal lactobacilli. Int Urogynecol J 3: 22–25.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chow AW, KH Bartlett and AM Goldring. 1984. Quantitative vaginal microflora in women convalescent from toxic shock syndrome and in healthy controls. Infect Immun 44: 650–652.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Gokalp AS, C Aldirmaz, A Oguz, A Gultekin and MZ Bakici. 1990. Relation between the intestinal flora and diaper dermatitis in infancy. Trop Geogr Med 42: 238–240.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hawthorn LA and G Reid. 1990. Exclusion of uropathogen adhesion to polymer surfaces byLactobacillus acidophilus. J Biomed Mater Res 24: 39–46.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hazen KC, DL Brawner, MH Riesselman, MA Jutila and JE Cutler. 1991. Differential adherence of hydrophobic and hydrophilicCandida albicans yeast cells to mouse tissues. Infect Immun 59: 970–912.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hilton E, HD Isenberg, P Alperstein, K France and MT Borenstein. 1992. Ingestion of yogurt containingLactobacillus acidophilus as prophylaxis for candidal vaginitis. Ann Inter Med 116: 353–357.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kennedy MJ, AL Rogers and RJ Ynacey Jr. 1989. Environmental alteration and phenotypic regulation ofCandida albicans adhesion to plastic. Infect Immun 57: 3876–3881.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Keswick BH, JL Seymour and MC Milligan. 1987. Diaper area skin microflora of normal children and children with atopic dermatitis. J Clin Microbiol 25: 216–221.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Klotz SA. 1990. Adherence ofCandida albicans to components of the subendothelial extracellular matrix. FEMS Microbiol Lett 56: 249–254.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Klotz SA and RL Penn. 1987. Multiple mechanisms may contribute to the adherence ofCandida yeasts to living cells. Curr Microbiol 16: 119–122.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Lanes SF, C Poole, NA Dreyer and LL Lanza. 1986. Toxic shock syndrome, contraceptive methods, and vaginitis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 154: 989–991.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. McMurdo MET, PG Davey, M-A Elder, RM Miller, DC Old and J Malek. 1992. A cost-effectiveness study of the management of intractable urinary incontinence by urinary catheterization or incontinence pads. Epidemiol Community Health 46: 222–226.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Michigan S. 1976. Genitourinary fungal infections. J Urol 116: 390–397.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Millsap K, G Reid, HC van der Mei and HJ Busscher. 1994. Displacement ofEnterococcus faecalis from hydrophobic and hydrophilic sustrata byLactobacillus andStreptococcus sp as studied in a parallel plate flow chamber. Appl Environ Microbiol 60: 1867–1874.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. O'Connor MI and JD Sobel. 1986. Epidemiology of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: identification and strain differentiation ofCandida albicans. J Infect Dis 154: 358–363.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Rasmussen JE. 1987. Classification of diaper dermatitis: an overview. Pediatrician 14 Suppl 1: 6–10.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Reid G. 1994. Applications from bacterial adhesion and biofilm studies in relation to urogenital tissues and biomaterials. A review. J. Ind Microbiol 13: 90–96.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Reid G. 1994. Microbial adhesion to biomaterials and infections of the urogenital tract. Coll Surfaces B: Biointer 2: 377–385.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Reid G, AW Bruce and M Taylor. 1992. Influence of three day antimicrobial therapy and lactobacillus suppositories on recurrence of urinary tract infection. Clin Therapeutics 14: 11–16.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Reid G, AW Bruce and M Taylor. 1995. Instillation of lactobacillus and stimulation of indigenous organisms to prevent recurrence of urinary tract infections. Microecol Ther (in press).

  25. Reid G, RL Cook and AW Bruce. 1987. Examination of strains of lactobacilli for properties which may influence bacterial interference in the urinary tract. J Urol 138: 330–335.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Reid G, PL Cuperus, AW Bruce, L Tomeczek, HC van der Mei, AE Khoury and HJ Busscher. 1992. Comparison of contact angles and adhesion to hexadecane of urogenital, dairy and poultry lactobacilli: effect of serial culture passages. Appl Environ Microbiol 58: 1549–1553.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Reid G, D Lam, AW Bruce, HC van der Mei and HJ Busscher. 1994. Adhesion of lactobacilli to urinary catheters and diapers: effect of surface properties. J Biomed Mater Res 28: 731–734.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Reid G and C Tieszer. 1993. Preferential adhesion of bacteria from a mixed population to urinary catheters. Cells Mater 3: 171–176.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rosenberg M. 1994. Bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons: a useful technique for studying cell surface hydrophobicity. FEMS Microbiol Lett 22: 289–295.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Tierno PM Jr and BA Hanna. 1985.In vitro amplification of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 by intravaginal devices. Contraception 31: 185–194.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Tierno PM Jr and BA Hanna. 1989. Ecology of toxic shock syndrome: amplification of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 by materials of medical interest. Rev Infect Dis 11 Suppl 1: S182-S186.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. van der Mei HC, MM Cowan and HJ Busscher. 1992. Physico-chemical and structural studies onAcinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1 and MR-481. Two standard strains in hydrophobicity tests. Curr Microbiol 23: 337–341.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Vartivarian SE. 1992. Virulence properties and nonimmune pathogenetic mechanisms of fungi. Clin Infect Dis 14 Suppl 1: S30-S36.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Vasilas A, L Molina, M Hoffman and CG Haidaris. 1992. The influence of morphological variation ofCandida albicans adhesion to denture acrylic in vitro. Arch Oral Biol 37: 613–622.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    G Reid, C Tieszer & D Lam

  2. Department of Surgery, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    G Reid

  3. Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    G Reid

  4. Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, Canada

    C Tieszer

Authors
  1. G Reid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C Tieszer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D Lam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reid, G., Tieszer, C. & Lam, D. Influence of lactobacilli on the adhesion ofStaphylococcus aureus andCandida albicans to fibers and epithelial cells. Journal of Industrial Microbiology 15, 248–253 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01569832

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01569832

Keywords

Search

Navigation