Bacterial biofilms: influence on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections.
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.
Nickel
J C
JC
Department of Urology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Costerton
J W
JW
McLean
R J
RJ
Olson
M
M
D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy