In vivo glycocalyx expression by staphylococcus aureus phage type 52/52a/80 in s. Aureus osteomyelitis

Thomas B. Buxton, Jack Horner, Alma Hinton, J. Peter Rissing

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Osteomyelitic rat tibiae were examined by scanning electron microscopy for the extracellular glycocalyx of Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus and fractured tibiae from normal rats were incubated together in vitro and examined similarly. Low magnification of endosteal Haversian portals from tibiae studied in vivo and in vitro disclosed adherent S. aureus exuding glycocalyx that buried the organism in dense, coccoid-studded biofilms. The biofilm became progressively more dense over time in vitro and was exuberant at day 70 in vivo. S. aureus incubated in vitro without tibiae disclosed no glycocalyx. Bone chips studied in vitro disclosed staphylococci more commonly near the endosteal Haversian portals than on the intervening endosteal surfaces (mean ± SE, 280 ± 75 vs. 12 ± 3 per 2,500-µm2 field; P `.002 by Student's t test). Organisms within ostia were not counted, although they occluded 10%–40% of the ostium. Staphylococci were adherent to exposed woven material, perhaps collagen.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)942-946
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Infectious Diseases
Volume156
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1987

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'In vivo glycocalyx expression by staphylococcus aureus phage type 52/52a/80 in s. Aureus osteomyelitis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this