UTI's

    
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Posted by HFHS M.D.-SS on February 09, 1998 at 19:07:12:

In Reply to: UTI's posted by Meagan on February 05, 1998 at 16:40:41:
  To whom it may concern:
  I am a fourth year biochemistry major (undergrad.) about to begin work on
  my senior thesis.  I am planning to study how various substances present in
  cranberry juice affect the ability of E. coli to adhere to the lining of
  the bladder.  It would be of great help to me if you could share any
  information you may have regarding the make-up of the bladder wall.  Also,
  by what mechanism do the E. coli adhere?  I am looking for specific names
  of receptors.  I plan to use the DS-17 strain of E. coli, and although I
  will be looking at many chemicals in cranberry juice, I will be focusing on
  the anthcyanins.
  Thank you for your time.
  Meagan
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Dear Megan
Thank you for your question. The structure of the human urinary bladder has been extensively studied. The bladder epithelium is the part of the bladder wall that is probably least important in bacterial adherence. The bacteria is the most important culprit in this event. E. Coli bacteria possess 2 kinds of pili or fimbriae that adhere to the receptors in the urothelial cell . These pili are of 2 types. These pili cause clumping  (hemagglutination) of red blood cells in vitro.  
type 1 pili: These pili are called mannose sensitive pili because the hemagglutination is mediated  by mannose sugar.
type II or P pili: these are mannose resistant as the hemagglutination is not altered by the mannose sugar. E. Coli that possess type P pili cause pyelonephritis( kidney infection). These pili bind to alpha-D.Gal(1-4)-Beta-D-Gal(Gal-Gal) receptors that are present on the urothelium as well as P-blood group antigen. (Hence the name P pili.) There are some excellent reviews of this subject.   These are 2 chapters from 2 books:
1. Infections of the urinary tract: Schaffer AJ: In Campbell