Table 2.
Biofilm formation in S. epidermidis isolates in the presence of neutrophils’ proteases.
| Isolates (n = 53) |
Cathepsin G n (%) |
Proteinase-3 n (%) |
Cathepsin B n (%) |
MMP-9 n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commensal isolates n = 22 | 8 (36.4) | 19 (86.4) * | 7 (31.8) | 9 (40.9) |
| Clinical isolates n = 31 | 6 (19.6) | 12 (38.7) | 7 (22.6) | 8 (25.8) |
* Statistical difference when compared with other proteases according to Fisher analysis. Cathepsin G at 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 ng/mL; proteinase-3 at 0.25, 2.5 or 25 ng/mL; cathepsin B at 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 ng/mL; and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) at 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 ng/mL. The isolates showed biofilm induction at different concentrations of the tested proteases. For example, some isolates produced biofilm only at the lowest concentrations of proteases, others induced biofilm up to intermediate concentrations, and others did so at all tested concentrations. The table shows the total number of isolates that induced biofilm by proteases.