Sort of Disgusting

[Guest guest]

If e coli can do this in simple bladder infections, then probably lots

of bacteria that locally colonize tissue can do this. Including,

obviously, sinus etc.

Bacteria that cause urinary tract infections invade bladder cells

St. Louis, Dec. 17, 2007 — Scientists at Washington University School

of Medicine in St. Louis have found definitive proof that some of the

bacteria that plague women with urinary tract infections (UTIs) are

entrenched inside human bladder cells.

The finding confirms a controversial revision of scientists' model of

how bacteria cause UTIs. Previously, most researchers assumed that the

bacteria responsible for infections get into the bladder but do not

invade the individual cells that line the interior of the bladder.

" Our animal model of UTIs has allowed us to make a number of

predictions about human UTIs, but at the end of the day, we felt it

was critical to show this in humans, and now we've done just that, "

says senior author J. Hultgren, Ph.D., the Helen L. Stoever

Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the School of Medicine.

The results appear in the December issue of Public Library of Science

Medicine.

Fully understanding what bacteria do in the bladder is critical to

developing better diagnoses and treatments for UTIs, Hultgren says.

The bacterium Escherchia coli is thought to be responsible for 80

percent to 90 percent of UTIs, which occur mainly in women and are one

of the most common bacterial infections in the United States.

Scientists estimate that more than half of all women will experience a

UTI in their lifetimes, and recurrent UTIs will affect 20 percent to

40 percent of those patients.

" Recurrence is one of the biggest problems of UTIs, " says Hultgren.

" Even though we have treatments that eliminate the acute symptoms, the

fact that the disease keeps recurring in so many women tells me that

we need to develop better treatments. "

Prior to the work of Hultgren and his colleagues, most microbiologists

and urologists believed for a variety of reasons that E. coli wasn't

getting into bladder cells.

" For example, there is a barrier in the bladder that prevents toxins

and other things in your urine from leaking back into the body, " notes

Rosen, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the School of Medicine and lead

author of the paper. " And it was thought that bacteria could not

penetrate that barrier. "

A biopsy could reveal the presence of bacteria in bladder cells, but

taking a tissue sample in an infected bladder incurs an unacceptable

risk of allowing bacteria to spread into the bloodstream, a dangerous

condition called sepsis.

Scientists also thought that if the bacteria were getting into bladder

cells, they would replicate and spread rapidly, sometimes leading to

sepsis. But after Hultgren first discovered that bacteria are able to

invade bladder cells in 1998, he later found evidence in his animal

model that bacteria could establish residence inside those cells. He

showed that this process involved several behavioral changes that

allow the bacteria to form cooperative communities known as biofilms.

By working together, bacteria in biofilms build themselves into

structures that are more firmly anchored in infected cells and are

more resistant to immune system assaults and antibiotic treatments.

To prove that the model correlates with human infections, Rosen led an

analysis of human urine samples sent from a clinic at the University

of Washington in Seattle. The 100 patients who gave samples were

either suffering from an active, symptomatic infection or had

previously suffered infections. Researchers analyzing the specimens

were not told which group of patients individual specimens had come from.

Using light and electron microscopy and immunofluoresence, scientists

found signs of bladder cell infection in a significant portion of the

samples from patients with active UTIs. These included cells enlarged

by bacterial infection and shed from the lining of the bladder.

In addition, Hultgren's experiments had previously suggested that some

bacteria progress to a filament-like shape when exiting out of the

biofilm. Rosen was able to identify bacteria with this filamentous

morphology in 41 percent of samples from patients with symptomatic UTIs.

Neither indicator was detected in urine from women who did not have

active infections. This was anticipated: Hultgren's animal model work

suggests that when women are between episodes of symptomatic

infection, intracellular E. coli may be in dormant phases where there

would be little cause for bacteria or the cells they infect to be shed

into the urine.

Further research is needed to determine if the infection indicators

Rosen detected in urine samples from symptomatic women are signs of

increased risk of recurrent infection. But looking for those signs

using immunofluorescent staining and a variety of microscopy methods

is unlikely to be practical on a widespread clinical basis. So to

follow up, Hultgren plans a search for biochemical indicators linked

to higher risk of recurrent UTIs and of infection spreading to a

patient's kidneys. His lab also continues to be involved in many

different efforts to develop new vaccines and treatments.

" What we're learning about how bacteria behave in the bladder may also

have application to other chronic, treatment-resistant infections such

as sinus infections and ear infections, " he says. " We're increasingly

starting to realize that biofilm formation is generally an important

strategy bacteria use to evade host responses and antibiotic

therapies. Attacking biofilms is going to be a really important

approach as we enter a new era of fighting infectious diseases. "

[Guest guest]

Hi

Isn't there a fibromyalgia group out of florida that's totally

focused on avoiding slime producing food groups?

They had a pretty good science going although they didn't eliminate

infection just held it in check..

>

> If e coli can do this in simple bladder infections, then probably

lots

> of bacteria that locally colonize tissue can do this. Including,

> obviously, sinus etc.

>

> Bacteria that cause urinary tract infections invade bladder cells

>

> St. Louis, Dec. 17, 2007 — Scientists at Washington University

School

> of Medicine in St. Louis have found definitive proof that some of

the

> bacteria that plague women with urinary tract infections (UTIs) are

> entrenched inside human bladder cells.

>

> The finding confirms a controversial revision of scientists' model

of

> how bacteria cause UTIs. Previously, most researchers assumed that

the

> bacteria responsible for infections get into the bladder but do not

> invade the individual cells that line the interior of the bladder.

>

> " Our animal model of UTIs has allowed us to make a number of

> predictions about human UTIs, but at the end of the day, we felt it

> was critical to show this in humans, and now we've done just that, "

> says senior author J. Hultgren, Ph.D., the Helen L. Stoever

> Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the School of Medicine.

>

> The results appear in the December issue of Public Library of

Science

> Medicine.

>

> Fully understanding what bacteria do in the bladder is critical to

> developing better diagnoses and treatments for UTIs, Hultgren says.

> The bacterium Escherchia coli is thought to be responsible for 80

> percent to 90 percent of UTIs, which occur mainly in women and are

one

> of the most common bacterial infections in the United States.

> Scientists estimate that more than half of all women will

experience a

> UTI in their lifetimes, and recurrent UTIs will affect 20 percent to

> 40 percent of those patients.

>

> " Recurrence is one of the biggest problems of UTIs, " says Hultgren.

> " Even though we have treatments that eliminate the acute symptoms,

the

> fact that the disease keeps recurring in so many women tells me that

> we need to develop better treatments. "

>

> Prior to the work of Hultgren and his colleagues, most

microbiologists

> and urologists believed for a variety of reasons that E. coli wasn't

> getting into bladder cells.

>

> " For example, there is a barrier in the bladder that prevents toxins

> and other things in your urine from leaking back into the body, "

notes

> Rosen, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the School of Medicine and

lead

> author of the paper. " And it was thought that bacteria could not

> penetrate that barrier. "

>

> A biopsy could reveal the presence of bacteria in bladder cells, but

> taking a tissue sample in an infected bladder incurs an unacceptable

> risk of allowing bacteria to spread into the bloodstream, a

dangerous

> condition called sepsis.

>

> Scientists also thought that if the bacteria were getting into

bladder

> cells, they would replicate and spread rapidly, sometimes leading to

> sepsis. But after Hultgren first discovered that bacteria are able

to

> invade bladder cells in 1998, he later found evidence in his animal

> model that bacteria could establish residence inside those cells. He

> showed that this process involved several behavioral changes that

> allow the bacteria to form cooperative communities known as

biofilms.

> By working together, bacteria in biofilms build themselves into

> structures that are more firmly anchored in infected cells and are

> more resistant to immune system assaults and antibiotic treatments.

>

> To prove that the model correlates with human infections, Rosen led

an

> analysis of human urine samples sent from a clinic at the University

> of Washington in Seattle. The 100 patients who gave samples were

> either suffering from an active, symptomatic infection or had

> previously suffered infections. Researchers analyzing the specimens

> were not told which group of patients individual specimens had come

from.

>

> Using light and electron microscopy and immunofluoresence,

scientists

> found signs of bladder cell infection in a significant portion of

the

> samples from patients with active UTIs. These included cells

enlarged

> by bacterial infection and shed from the lining of the bladder.

>

> In addition, Hultgren's experiments had previously suggested that

some

> bacteria progress to a filament-like shape when exiting out of the

> biofilm. Rosen was able to identify bacteria with this filamentous

> morphology in 41 percent of samples from patients with symptomatic

UTIs.

>

> Neither indicator was detected in urine from women who did not have

> active infections. This was anticipated: Hultgren's animal model

work

> suggests that when women are between episodes of symptomatic

> infection, intracellular E. coli may be in dormant phases where

there

> would be little cause for bacteria or the cells they infect to be

shed

> into the urine.

>

> Further research is needed to determine if the infection indicators

> Rosen detected in urine samples from symptomatic women are signs of

> increased risk of recurrent infection. But looking for those signs

> using immunofluorescent staining and a variety of microscopy methods

> is unlikely to be practical on a widespread clinical basis. So to

> follow up, Hultgren plans a search for biochemical indicators linked

> to higher risk of recurrent UTIs and of infection spreading to a

> patient's kidneys. His lab also continues to be involved in many

> different efforts to develop new vaccines and treatments.

>

> " What we're learning about how bacteria behave in the bladder may

also

> have application to other chronic, treatment-resistant infections

such

> as sinus infections and ear infections, " he says. " We're

increasingly

> starting to realize that biofilm formation is generally an important

> strategy bacteria use to evade host responses and antibiotic

> therapies. Attacking biofilms is going to be a really important

> approach as we enter a new era of fighting infectious diseases. "

>