title: Bacterial biofilms: influence on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections.
abstract: The bacterial biofilm theory which describes bacterial populations in natural and pathogenic ecological systems in terms of a free-floating or 'planktonic' population of bacteria interacting with a more important matrix enclosed 'sessile' population of bacteria associated with or adherent to a surface, may help explain some of the problems linked to our understanding the nature of urinary tract infections. This paper reviews the role of bacterial biofilm formation in catheter-associated infection, prostatitis and struvite (infected stone) calculogenesis stressing, the importance of bacterial biofilms in the pathogenesis, persistence and hence the treatment of urinary tract infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Costerton
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy