title: Novel immunotherapeutic strategies for pyelonephritis.
abstract: Acute pyelonephritis is an infection of the renal parenchyma and renal pelvis. When it is caused by a typical pathogen in an immunocompetent female patient with normal urinary tract, it is considered uncomplicated. In all other cases, sepsis is the most worrisome complication. In the event of sepsis, patients should be hospitalized and treated aggressively with antibiotics, intravenous fluids and agents that enhance the immune response of the host. In this review, we summarize findings from immunomodulatory interventions in experimental studies of acute pyelonephritis and the application of these interventions into clinical practice. Vaccine against bacterial virulence factors and agents aiming to modulate the immune response of the host belong to these interventions and they are discussed.
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, ATTIKON University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, 12462 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsaganos
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, ATTIKON University Hospital, 1 Rimini Str, 12462 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Giamarellos-Bourboulis
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: acute pyelonephritis; clarithromycin; immunomodulation; interferon-gamma; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; urinary tract infection; vaccination