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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2006, p. 1268-1275, Vol. 50, No. 4
0066-4804/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.50.4.1268-1275.2006

Using Bacteriophages To Reduce Formation of Catheter-Associated Biofilms by Staphylococcus epidermidis

Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Received 17 November 2005/ Returned for modification 5 December 2005/ Accepted 23 January 2006

Use of indwelling catheters is often compromised as a result of biofilm formation. This study investigated if hydrogel-coated catheters pretreated with a coagulase-negative bacteriophage would reduce Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation. Biofilms were developed on hydrogel-coated silicone catheters installed in a modified drip flow reactor. Catheter segments were pretreated with the lytic S. epidermidis bacteriophage 456 by exposing the catheter lumen to a 10-log-PFU/ml culture of the bacteriophage for 1 h at 37°C prior to biofilm formation. The untreated mean biofilm cell count was 7.01 ± 0.47 log CFU/cm² of catheter. Bacteriophage treatment with and without supplemental divalent cations resulted in log-CFU/cm² reductions of 4.47 (P < 0.0001) and 2.34 (P = 0.001), respectively. Divalent cation supplementation without bacteriophage treatment provided a 0.67-log-CFU/cm² reduction (P = 0.053). Treatment of hydrogel-coated silicone catheters with an S. epidermidis bacteriophage in an in vitro model system significantly reduced viable biofilm formation by S. epidermidis over a 24-h exposure period, suggesting the potential of bacteriophage for mitigating biofilm formation on indwelling catheters and reducing the incidence of catheter-related infections.

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