Detection of Intracellular Bacterial Communities in Human Urinary Tract Infection

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections and are predominantly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). While UTIs are typically considered extracellular infections, it has been recently demonstrated that UPEC bind to, invade, and replicate within the murine bladder urothelium to form intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs). These IBCs dissociate and bacteria flux out of bladder facet cells, some with filamentous morphology, and ultimately establish quiescent intracellular reservoirs that can seed recurrent infection. This IBC pathogenic cycle has not yet been investigated in humans. In this study we sought to determine whether evidence of an IBC…

• UO
  University of Washington
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: DK051406
• NI
  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

  Awards: DK051406, DK64540
• OO
  Office of Research on Women's Health