Temperature, pH and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole are potent inhibitors of biofilm formation by stenotrophomonas maltophilia clinical isolates

Abstract

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, an opportunistic pathogen usually connected with healthcare-Associated infections, is an environmental bacterium. Intrinsic resistance to multiple antibiotics, with different virulence determinants in the last decade classified this bacterium in the group of global multiple drug resistant (MDR) organism. S. maltophilia clinical isolates, were collected from tertiary care pediatric hospital in Belgrade, Serbia to investigate influence of different factors on biofilm formation, kinetics of biofilm formation for strong biofilm producers and effect of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) on formed biofilm. Most of the isolates (89.8%) were able to form a biofilm. Analysis of biofilm formation in different growth conditions showed that changing of temeperature and pH had the stronggest effect on biofilm formation almost equally in group of cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF strains. TMP/SMX in concentration of 50 μg/ml reduced completely 24 h old biofilms while concentration of 25 μg/ml effects formed biofilms in a strain dependent manner. Among strains able to form strong biofilm CF isolates formed biofilm slower than non-CF isolates, while shaking conditions did not affect biofilm formation. Swimming motility was detected in both CF and non-CF isolates, however more motile strain formed stronger biofilms. This study suggests that temperature, pH and TMP/SMX had the strongest influence on biofilm formation in analyzed collection of S. maltophilia. A positive correlation between motility and strength of formed biofilm was demonstrated.