Cell-surface hydrophobicity of Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

The cell-surface hydrophobicity of 100 urinary isolates of Staphylococcus saprophyticus, cultured from symptomatic females in the general population, was assessed using a two-phase aqueous:hydrocarbon system. Relatively strong cell-surface hydrophobicity was exhibited by 79 isolates using the criteria employed, while only 2 of the remaining 21 isolates failed to demonstrate any detectable hydrophobicity. Cell-surface hydrophobicity may be a virulence factor of S. saprophyticus, important in adherence of the organism to uroepithelia. Additionally, the data support the concept that cell-surface hydrophobicity may be a useful predictor of clinical significance of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from clinical sources.