Bacterial colonization of biliary stents

Sections of whole biliary stents are hybridized with the universal Eub338 Cy3 probe. Bacteria in orange color (arrows) can be clearly identified by their form within the yellowish sludge that covers the inner surface (panels A and B) in partially occluded stents. Bacteria disappear from the stent lumen with increasing occlusion of the bile duct stent (panel C: stent center; panel D: stent wall), when only yellowish masses of cholesterol and other sludge can be seen. (Magnification x1000).