Blood group non-secretors have an increased inflammatory response to urinary tract infection.
The aim of this study was to assess the possible relationship between secretor state and the inflammatory response to urinary tract infection (UTI). Girls with recurrent UTI were prospectively studied. They included 61 secretor and 23 non-secretor individuals with 604 episodes of recurrent UTI. The response to each UTI episode was measured as the levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the body temperature as well as renal concentrating capacity and pyuria. The levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the body temperature were significantly higher in non-secretors than in secretors (p less than 0.04). As a consequence, non-secretors had an increased probability of being assigned a diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis rather than asymptomatic bacteriuria (p less than 0.05). The higher inflammatory response in non-secretors was independent of the Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta adhesin expression of the infecting Escherichia coli strains. The increased inflammatory response to UTI in non-secretors might explain the accumulation of these individuals among patients with renal scarring.
Lomberg
H
H
Department of Clinical Immunology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Jodal
U
U
Leffler
H
H
De Man
P
P
Svanborg
C
C
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000208:Acute Disease; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000097:blood; D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D001831:Body Temperature; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003556:Cystitis / Q000097:blood; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000097:blood*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000097:blood*
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D002097:C-Reactive Protein