Urease, Urolithiasis, and Colonization of the Urinary Tract

TL;DRAbstract

In urinary tracts with functional or anatomical abnormalities in which the normal flow of urine is disrupted or in which residual urine cannot be expressed from the bladder, a distinct group of bacterial species may cause infection. These infections are most frequently polymicrobial. The placement of a long-term indwelling catheter ensures that a urinary tract infection (UTI) will develop. Proteus mirabilis, a dimorphic gram-negative bacterium, commonly causes UTI in individuals with structural abnormalities or long term catheterization, i.e., complicated UTI. Flagella and the mannose-resistant, Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae and P. mirabilis fimbriae (PMF) have been identified as virulence factors of P. mirabilis that contribute to its colonization of the urinary tract in a murine model. Urease inhibitors have been used to treat patients with urolithiasis. The level of bladder colonization by the urease-negative mutant was >200-fold higher in the catheterized mice than in the uncatheter

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