Role of type 1 fimbria- and P fimbria-specific adherence in colonization of the neurogenic human bladder by Escherichia coli.

Recent clinical studies suggest that the deliberate colonization of the human bladder with a prototypic asymptomatic bacteriuria-associated bacterium, Escherichia coli 83972, may reduce the frequency of urinary tract infection in individuals with spinal cord injuries. However, the mechanism by which E. coli 83972 colonizes the bladder is unknown.