Effect of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of azithromycin on adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to polystyrene.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms a bacterial biofilm by producing alginate when it adheres to mucosa or various medical devices. In this study, the effect of subminimal inhibitory concentrations (subMICs) of azithromycin (AZM) on the biofilm formation and in vitro adherence to polystyrene of 14 wild-type P. aeruginosa strains was studied. A total of 35 P. aeruginosa isolates from clinical specimens were used. Glycocalyx production was determined by the tube method, and bacterial adherence to the wells of flat bottom polystyrene tissue culture plates was estimated by the spectrophotometric method. Compared to the control, the adherence ability to polystyrene was inhibited by incubation with subMICs of AZM in a dose-dependent manner. These results support the findings of other investigators suggesting that AZM in subinhibitory concentrations may be useful in the prevention or treatment of biofilm-associated infections due to P. aeruginosa.