Environmental Healthcare Unit, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
J Hosp Infect. 2011 Aug;78(4):251-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.03.021. Epub 2011 Jun 11.
Iatrogenic transmission of the infectious prion protein (PrP(Sc)) is a potential threat due to its resistance to many chemical and enzymatic decontamination protocols and its strong adhesive properties to stainless steel. The conditions in which surgical instruments are handled during and after surgery may affect the level of tissue protein, prion attachment and the efficacy of subsequent decontamination regimes. This study investigated the adhesion of tissue protein and prion-associated amyloid to surgical stainless steel with respect to time and various storage conditions, and the subsequent outcome on the efficacy of enzymatic cleaning chemistries. Surfaces were contaminated with ME7-infected brain homogenate and left to dry between 0 and 120 min at room temperature or 24 h, in dry or moist conditions. Residual contamination before and after cleaning was visualised using sensitive fluorescent staining and episcopic differential interference contrast/epifluorescence microscopy. Longer drying times increased both protein and prion amyloid adsorption and affected the efficacy of the cleaning chemistries tested. A moist environment post-contamination significantly reduced the attachment of both protein and prion amyloid to the surgical stainless steel surface. Maintaining moist conditions could potentially improve the subsequent decontamination of reusable surgical instruments, also reducing process time and cost.
由于传染性朊病毒蛋白 (PrP(Sc)) 具有抗多种化学和酶去污方案以及对不锈钢的强粘附特性，因此其在医学领域中存在经医源性传播的潜在威胁。手术过程中和手术后处理手术器械的条件可能会影响组织蛋白、朊病毒附着的水平以及随后去污方案的效果。本研究针对时间和各种储存条件对手术不锈钢的组织蛋白和朊病毒相关淀粉样蛋白的粘附性以及对随后酶清洁化学物质效果的影响进行了研究。使用 ME7 感染的脑组织匀浆污染表面，并在室温下或在干燥或潮湿条件下干燥 0 至 120 分钟。使用敏感的荧光染色和相差微分干涉/荧光显微镜在清洁前后可视化残留污染。干燥时间的延长增加了蛋白质和朊病毒淀粉样蛋白的吸附，并影响了测试的清洁化学物质的效果。污染后保持潮湿环境可显著降低蛋白质和朊病毒淀粉样蛋白在手术不锈钢表面的附着。保持潮湿条件可能会提高可重复使用手术器械的后续去污效果，同时也能减少处理时间和成本。
