Biofilm and the role of the ica operon and aap in Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates causing neurosurgical meningitis. Niall T. Stevens M Tharmabala T Dillane Catherine M. Greene James P. O'Gara Hilary Humphreys 10779/rcsi.10785752.v1 https://repository.rcsi.com/articles/journal_contribution/Biofilm_and_the_role_of_the_ica_operon_and_aap_in_Staphylococcus_epidermidis_isolates_causing_neurosurgical_meningitis_/10785752 Fifty-five Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates, classified as contaminants or causing device-related meningitis, from external ventricular drain (EVD) and non-EVD cerebrospinal fluid specimens were characterized. Thirty-three of 42 (78.6%) meningitis isolates were PCR-positive for ica and aap, known determinants of polysaccharide- and protein-mediated biofilm production, whereas five of 13 (38.5%) contaminants were ica- and aap-negative; 71.4% of meningitis isolates and 84.6% of contaminants produced biofilm. ica+aap+ meningitis isolates produced more biofilm than ica+aap- isolates (p 0.0020). ica+aap- isolates did not produce more biofilm than ica-aap+ isolates (p 0.4368). Apparently, ica and aap are associated with biofilm production in S. epidermidis device-related meningitis isolates. 2019-11-22 16:36:14 Bacterial Adhesion Bacterial Typing Techniques Biofilms Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts DNA Bacterial Equipment Contamination Genes Genotype Humans Meningitis Operon Polymerase Chain Reaction Prosthesis-Related Infections Staphylococcal Infections Staphylococcus epidermidis Medicine