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Science 20 November 1998:
Vol. 282. no. 5393, p. 1381
DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5393.1381i
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This Week in Science

Bladder infections affect over 7 million people annually in the United States alone. Escherichia coli is the major cause of infection, and the virulent forms have fibers extending from them called type 1 pili. Mulvey et al. (p. 1494) now show that these pili are required to make direct contact with the uroplakin "shield" that covers the surface of the bladder epithelium. Once contact was made, the outer epithelium (umbrella cells) underwent apoptosis, decreasing the bacterial load. However, those bacteria not swept away burrowed into the underlying urothelium and could persist even in the presence of antibiotic, suggesting that recurrent urinary tract infections may be result from lingering chronic infections, rather than reintroduction of the pathogens.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)