title: Characteristics of nanobacteria and their possible role in stone formation.
abstract: Kidney stone formation is a multifactorial disease in which the defence mechanisms and risk factors are imbalanced in favour of stone formation. We have proposed a novel infectious agent, mineral forming nanobacteria (NB), to be active nidi that attach to, invade and damage the urinary epithelium of collecting ducts and papilla forming the calcium phosphate center(s) found in most kidney stones. Stone formation may proceed in urine supersaturated with calcium phosphate, calcium oxalate and uric acid/urate under the influence of crystallization promoters and inhibitors. Our hypothesis underlines the role of active nidi: even supersaturated urine requires nidi for crystallization to appear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. olavi.kajander@uku.fi
authors.forename: E Olavi
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Kajander
authors.forename: Neva
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ciftcioglu
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aho
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garcia-Cuerpo
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003460:Crystallization; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning