Attachment of bacteria to exfoliated cells from the urogenital tract

To establish urogenital infections, organisms must adhere to the mucosal lining. A differential adherence capacity among various bacterial species was observed when exfoliated urethral and urothelial cells were tested in an in vitro system. No difference in the adherence capacity of a particular species was observed when tested with exfoliated cells obtained from voided urine from different healthy individuals of the same sex. Escherichia coli harvested directly from urine specimens of patients with significant bacteriuria showed a significantly higher capacity to adhere than when obtained from the primary isolation plate. Staphylococcus saprophyticus adhered significantly better to urothelial cells than did Staphylococcus epidermidis. Adherence did not differ when the tests were performed in ultrafiltrated, infected and noninfected urine. Variations of the osmolality did not influence the adherence rate of E. coli. Gonococci showed an increased capacity to adhere when tested in urine of increasing acidity. Gonococci producing T1 colonies adhered by significantly higher numbers per cell than such bacteria producing T4 colonies.