Resultados: En presencia de HPS, la fagocitosis de Enterococcus spp. por los leucocitos polimorfonucleares fue significativamente superior a la observada en ausencia de opsoninas, siendo el porcentaje de fagocitosis de E. faecium superior al de E. faecalis. El efecto del complemento sobre la fagocitosis fue dependiente de la cepa. Ni la albúmina ni la fibronectina tuvieron un efecto opsonizante sobre Enterococcus spp.
Conclusiones: Existe una gran heterogeneidad en los requerimientos opsónicos de Enterococcus spp. Las opsoninas séricas tienen un papel fundamental en la fagocitosis de E. faecalis y E. faecium por los leucocitos polimorfonucleares, siendo este efecto más relevante con E. faecium. El poder opsonizante del complemento fue dependiente de la cepa.
Methods: Twenty strains (10 E. faecalis and 10 E. faecium) were studied. Phagocytosis was determined by a radiometric assay. Bacterial cells were labelled with 3H-adenine and opsonized with: a) 10% of human pool sera (HPS); b) 10% of decomplemented HPS, and c) albumin and fibronectin.
Results: Phagocytosis of Enterococcus spp. by PMN in the presence of HPS was significantly higher than that in the absence of opsonins. The phagocytosis of E. faecium was higher than that of E. faecalis. A strain-dependent effect of complement in the phagocytosis of Enterococcus spp. was observed. Neither albumin nor fibronectin showed an opsonic activity on Enterococcus spp.
Conclusions.: A great heterogeneity in the opsonic requirements of Enterococcus spp. was
observed. Serum opsonins show a critical role in the phagocytosis of E. faecalis and E. faecium by PMN, this effect being more relevant with E. faecium. A strain-dependent opsonic activity of complement was observed