Bacterial Virulence

Bacterial proteases have been described as the most important class of virulence factors and play a key role in the establishment of wound infections, ultimately impeding the healing response and keeping the wound in a chronic state¹Koziel J, Potempa J. Protease-armed bacteria in the skin. Cell Tissue Res. 2013; 351(2): 325-37.. They are produced by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria associated with chronic wound colonization²Wysocki AB, Bhalla-Regev SK, Tierno PM, Steven-Riley M, Wiygul R. Proteolytic Activity by Multiple Bacterial Species Isolated from Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers Degrades Matrix Substrates. Biol Res Nurs. 2012; 15(4): 407-415..

The detection of bacterial protease activity in a chronic wound would be indicative of the presence of bacterial virulence which is a precursor to clinical signs and symptoms of infection³Thomson PD, Smith DJ. What is infection? Am. J. Surg. 1994; 167(No. 1A): 7S-10S.^,4Dow G, Browne A, Sibbald RG. Infection in chronic wounds: Controversies in diagnosis and treatment. Ostomy Wound Management 1999; 45 (8): 23-40. .

Bacterial virulence is undesirable since, at this stage, the wound is in a part of the wound infection continuum that typically requires intervention.

WOUNDCHEK™ Bacterial Status — Now available in countries accepting CE mark or FDA clearance for use in clinics authorized to conduct 'Moderately Complex' testing.

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