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Crystallization of urine mineral components may depend on the chemical nature of Proteus endotoxin polysaccharides

Agnieszka Torzewska¹, Pawe Stczek² and Antoni Róalski¹

Departments of Immunobiology of Bacteria¹ and Genetics of Microorganisms², Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of uuLód, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 uuLód, Poland#dReceived 19 December 2002 Accepted 4 February 2003

Correspondence: Agnieszka Torzewska (toraga{at}biol.uni.lodz.pl)

Formation of infectious urinary calculi is the most common complication accompanying urinary tract infections by members of the genus Proteus. The major factor involved in stone formation is the urease produced by these bacteria, which causes local supersaturation and crystallization of magnesium and calcium phosphates as carbonate apatite [Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆.CO₃] and struvite (MgNH₄PO₄.6H₂O), respectively. This effect may also be enhanced by bacterial polysaccharides. Macromolecules of such kind contain negatively charged residues that are able to bind Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, leading to the accumulation of these ions around bacterial cells and acceleration of the crystallization process. The levels of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions bound by whole Proteus cells were measured, as well as the chemical nature of isolated LPS polysaccharides, and the intensity of the in vitro crystallization process was compared in a synthetic urine. The results suggest that the sugar composition of Proteus LPS may either enhance or inhibit the crystallization of struvite and apatite, depending on its chemical structure and ability to bind cations. This points to the increased importance of endotoxin in urinary tract infections.

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