Screening of urinary pathogens obtained from catheterized patients for mannose-specific lectin: clinical implications

The adherence of bacteria to the uroepithelium is mediated partially by a lectin present on the bacterial surface and can be blocked by mannose derivatives. The presence of the bacterial lectin was sought in the urine of 170 catheterized patients. Sixty-one percent of the isolated Escherichia coli, 55% of the isolated Klebsiella sp. and 11% of the isolated Proteus sp. agglutinated yeast cells and thus had lectin on their surfaces. In most instances the agglutination could be blocked by mannose. Lectin-bearing E. coli were significantly more sensitive to cephalothin and sulfamexazole-trimethoprim than the other isolates, and they were isolated from the urine of patients who were catheterized for shorter periods of time (mean 4.0 days) and who had not received antibiotics or short antibiotic courses.