The influence of selected urinary constituents on the adhesion process of Escherichia coli to human uroepithelial cells.

In the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, great importance is attached to the problem of adhesion of bacteria to cells. In 100 urine specimens from normal test persons, patients with infections of the lower urinary tract, with chronic pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis were studied. The adhesion of strains of Escherichia coli to human uroepithelial cells depended on the concentration of single urinary factors. While increased concentrations of urea and creatinine favored the adhesion process, a statistically significant negative influence was found with regard to potassium, immunoglobulins and pH value. Considering the multifactorial effects of the urinary constituents, we found in a multivariate comparison that none of the studied physiological features alone exerts a fundamental influence upon adhesion, but in their entirety they determine the environmental conditions for the adhesion of bacteria to cells in the urine.