Clinico-Bacteriological Studies The Etiology Of Bacterial Prostatitis Ii. Virulence Factors Of E. Coli In Bacterial Prostatitis

The virulence factors of E. coli in bacterial prostatitis were studied using 59 E. coli isolated from uncomplicated prostatitis. O-antigens of prostatitis-derived E. coli belonged to some specific serotypes such as 0∼4,6,18,22 and the haemolysin production was positive in 64.4%. With regard to the fimbriae, the majority of the strains had type 1 fimbriae (81.4%). Mannose resistant (MR) fimbriae were also positive in 59.3% and both type 1 and MR fimbriae were positive in 55.9%. Among MR strains, P-fimbriated and S-fimbriated strains were present in 25.7% and 28.6%, respectively, indicating that these two MR fimbriae were not always specific for the prostatitis-derived E. coli. Although the specific adhesion of E. coli onto the human prostatic epithelium mediated by MR-fimbriae was equivocal, that mediated by type 1 fimbriae was observed clearly. Therefore, type 1 fimbriae was thought to be one of the most significant virulence factors in the pathogenesis of prostatitis caused by E. coli.