Skin bacteria after chlorhexidine exposure - is there a difference in response to human β-Defensin-3?

We investigated whether exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) changed the response of five Staphylococcus spp. to human β-Defensin-3 (hBD-3). The change in response for each strain was determined in vitro with time–kill experiments in suspension by comparing the mean log10 reduction caused by hBD-3 at 1.5 and 3 h in exposed and non-exposed bacteria. The identity of staphylococcal species was verified by DNA sequence homology in the gyrA genes in comparison with reference strains. Baseline sub-lethal concentrations allowing visible bacterial growth were between 0.0625 and 0.25 μg/ml. Sub-lethal CHG concentrations increased within 3 days in two isolates. For S. capitis 19/2, CHG-exposed cells were less susceptible to 0.5 μg/ml hBD-3 (log10 reduction 0.78 versus 2.06 at 1.5 h; p < 0.001; t-test). For S. aureus, however, CHG-exposed cells were more susceptible to 1 μg/ml hBD-3. The observed changes between CHG-exposed and non-exposed cells did not indicate a general trend in response to hBD-3. Overall, we found no consistent evidence that 3 days of exposure to CHG changed the response of five Staphylococcus spp. to hBD-3. The use of CHG for skin antisepsis is, based on our data, unlikely to change the natural defence activity of hBD-3.