Biological properties of Stаphylococcus aureus - biofilm producers isolated from wound swabs from patients
The phenotypic plasticity of clinical isolates of Stаphylococcus aureus, caused by the adaptive transformation of metabolism while being in the biofilm, the action of antibacterial drugs and hospital conditions, and the chronic course of the disease substantiated the relevance of this study. The analysis of the main biological properties of 248 S. aureus isolates isolated from the wound swabs of patients was carried out. Evaluated lecithinase, hemolytic, DNase, proteolytic and fibrinolytic activity, plasma coagulation reaction, mannitol fermentation. The presence of biofilm formation genes (icaAD, icaBC, icaR) was determined, the phenotypic degree of biofilm production was assessed using spectrophotometric detection. The frequency of occurrence of ica+ (87,5%) and ica- (12,5%) S. aureus in wounds of various etiology and duration has been established. The variability of the phenotypic ability to form a biofilm and the manifestation of the main biological properties of S. aureus were determined by the growth characteristics of S. aureus (quantity, monoculture, or association) and the nature of the wound process (extent of damage, duration of the wound). The revealed features can serve as additional criteria for assessing the pathogenic potential of clinical S. aureus isolates when interpreting the results of microbiological research.