Clinical Investigation

Kidney International (1981) 19, 58–64; doi:10.1038/ki.1981.7

Unconventional bacteria in urinary tract disease: Ureaplasma urealyticum

Douglas F Birch1, Kenneth F Fairley1 and Robin E Pavillard1

1Departments of Nephrology and Microbiology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Correspondence: Dr D F Birch, Department of Nephrology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, 3050, Victoria, Australia

Received 21 February 1980; Revised 13 May 1980.

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Abstract

Unconventional bacteria in urinary tract disease: Ureaplasma urealyticum. Bladder-aspirate urine samples (N = 428) were cultured for the presence of fastidious microorganisms. These samples were obtained from 190 patients with urinary tract disease or symptoms suggesting infection of the urinary tract in whom standard bacteriologie investigation had failed to indicate bacterial infection. Ureaplasma urealyticum was recovered alone or in association with other microorganisms from the bladder urine of 75% of patients with reflux scarring and abnormal renal function. Ureaplasma organisms were localized to the upper urinary tract in 80% of patients with bladder counts greater than 103 colony-forming units per ml. The results indicate that micro-organisms not conventionally associated with urinary tract infection are recoverable from the bladder urine of a high percentage of patients with so-called "sterile pyelonephritis," in which group of patients these microorganisms may contribute to progressive renal disease.

Bactérie inhabituelle au cours de l'infection urinaire: Ureaplasma urealyticum. Échantillons d'urine (N = 428) obtenus par ponction vésicale ont été cultivés. Ces échantillons ont été obtenus de 190 patients atteints de symptômes suggérant l'infection urinaire mais chez lesquels les études bactériologiques usuelles n'avaient pas mis en évidence d'infection bactérienne. Ureaplasma urealyticum a été obtenu seul ou en association avec d'autres microorganismes à partir de l'urine de 75% des malades atteints de lésions de reflux et d'altération de la fonction rénale. Les Ureaplasmas étaient localisés au haut appareil urinaire chez 80% des malades dont les numérations étaient supérieures à 103 cfu/ml. Les résultats indiquent que les micro-organismes non habituellement associés à l'infection urinaire peuvent être observés dans l'urine vésicale dans un pourcentage élevé de malades atteints de soi-disant "pyélonéphrite stérile." Chez ces malades ces micro-organismes peuvent contribuer à la progression de l'affection rénale.

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