Title:Microbial Biofilms: Impact on the Pathogenesis of Periodontitis, Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Wounds and Medical Device-Related Infections
Volume: 15
Issue: 16
Author(s): Mara Madalina Mihai, Alina Maria Holban, Calin Giurcaneanu, Liliana Gabriela Popa, Raluca Mihaela Oanea, Veronica Lazar, Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc, Marcela Popa and Mircea Ioan Popa
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Biofilm diagnosis, Biofilm formation, Biofilm resistance, Experimental models, Human microbiota, Tolerance.
Abstract: The majority of chronic infections are associated with mono- or polymicrobial biofilms,
having a significant impact on the patients’ quality of life and survival rates. Although the use of
medical devices revolutionized health care services and significantly improved patient outcomes, it also led to complications
associated with biofilms and to the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria. Immunocompromised patients, institutionalized
or hospitalized individuals, elderly people are at greater risk due to life-threatening septic complications, but
immunocompetent individuals with predisposing genetic or acquired diseases can also be affected, almost any body part
being able to shelter persistent biofilms. Moreover, chronic biofilm-related infections can lead to the occurrence of systemic
diseases, as in the case of chronic periodontitis, linked to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The
more researchers discover, new unknown issues add up to the complexity of biofilm infections, in which microbial species
establish relationships of cooperation and competition, and elaborate phenotypic differentiation into functional, adapted
communities. Their interaction with the host’s immune system or with therapeutic agents contributes to the complex puzzle
that still misses a lot of pieces. In this comprehensive review we aimed to highlight the microbial composition, developmental
stages, architecture and properties of medical biofilms, as well as the diagnostic tools used in the management
of biofilm related infections. Also, we present recently acquired knowledge on the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment
of four chronic diseases associated with biofilm development in tissues (chronic periodontitis, chronic lung infection
in cystic fibrosis, chronic wounds) and artificial substrata (medical devices-related infections).
