[Inhibition of bacterial adherence--possibilities of prevention and therapy]

The majority of bacterial infections begin with the adherence of pathogenic bacteria to the surfaces of epithelial cells. Microorganisms adhere to cells in a highly selective manner so that sneezing, coughing, peristalsis, and fluid flow cannot remove them. Even though the study of bacterial adherence gives a new insight: to the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, the question that always arises is whether infection can be prevented or treated by interfering with this first step in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Adherence may be inhibited by substances that block the interaction between the bacterial adhesin and the target cell receptor. These include the soluble form of receptor, antibodies against the receptor or against the adhesin, and antibiotics which impair bacterial adherence. In this review all three possibilities are considered.