Innate Bacteriostatic Mechanisms Defend the Urinary Tract
Jose A Munoz1, Anne-Catrin Uhlemann1, Jonathan Barasch1
1Department of Medicine and Pathology and Urology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA;
Annual Review of Physiology
|November 15, 2021
Summary
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common urogenital diseases affecting millions. This review explores how the body
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a prevalent urogenital disease affecting millions globally.
- UTIs impact various urinary tract organs, including the urethra, bladder, ureter, and kidney.
- Existing research often treats bladder (cystitis) and kidney (pyelonephritis) infections separately.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the chemical and biophysical mechanisms of bacteriostasis in urinary tract infections.
- To elucidate how host defenses are shared or coordinated across the urinary tract during infection.
- To understand the complex interplay between bacterial evasion tactics and host-defensive mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing studies on UTI pathogenesis.
- Analysis of chemical and biophysical mechanisms contributing to bacteriostasis.
- Examination of host-pathogen interactions within the urinary tract.
Main Results:
- Host defenses, including bacteriostasis, limit UTI duration and severity.
- Bacteria actively counteract these host defenses.
- Shared and coordinated host defenses exist across the urinary tract.
Conclusions:
- Understanding bacteriostasis mechanisms is crucial for managing UTIs.
- The natural history of UTIs is complicated by bacterial adaptation to host defenses.
- A unified view of UTI pathogenesis across the urinary tract is needed.
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