Affinity apheresis for treatment of bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus and/or methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

• Staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacteremia is associated with high mortality, and often results in metastatic infections. The methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) is an urgent health care issue, as nosocomial infections with these bacteria represent limited treatment alternatives. Samples of whole blood containing challenge inoculums of SA and MRSA strains were passed through columns packed with surface-heparinized polyethylene beads. The bound bacteria were eluted and quantitatively determined by culturing and by real-time PCR. Significant amounts of both SA and MRSA adhered to the heparinized beads (more than 65% of inoculated bacteria). After rinsing with buffer at high ionic strength, viable bacteria or bacterial DNA were eluted from the columns, indicating that the binding was specific. The conclusions that can be made from these experiments are that, as earlier reported in the literature, the high affinity of SA to heparin is retained in whole blood, and MRSA in whole blood binds to heparin with similar or higher affinity than SA. It should be possible to lower the amount of SA and/or MRSA from the blood of infected patients to levels that could be taken care of by the immune system. In previous studies, we have shown that passing blood from septic patients over beads coated with end-point-attached, biologically active heparin is a useful technique for regulating the levels of heparin-binding cytokine. These findings in combination with the present findings indicate the possibility of creating an apheresis technology for treatment of sepsis caused by SA and/or MRSA.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Industriell bioteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Industrial Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Bacteremia

microbiology

therapy

Bacterial Adhesion

Biotechnology

methods

Blood Component Removal

methods

Colony Count

Microbial

Cross Infection

microbiology

therapy

Heparin

metabolism

Humans

Immobilization

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

genetics

isolation & purification

metabolism

Microspheres

Polyethylene

chemistry

Polymerase Chain Reaction

methods

Staphylococcal Infections

microbiology

therapy

Staphylococcus aureus

genetics

isolation & purification

metabolism

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)