In an article entitled Bacterial Biofilms in Urology, urological researchers report a hypothesis that helps explain why, even though basic culturing reveals no bacteria, and powerful antibiotics have already been given to a prostatitis patient, bacterial infection could still be present and causing problems. The authors are J. Curtis Nickel, MD, Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada and Robert J.C. McLean, PhD, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. Five years of online discussion and a lack of scientific consensus means there are different viewpoints on almost everything that can be discussed here. We'll go through their paper and explain the parts that pertain to prostatitis, where necessary.
Infection results when the bacterial virulence factors overcome the numerous host defenses.
Growth of adjacent microcolonies toward each other will lead to the development of a mature biofilm. The attached bacteria are more resistant to both antibiotics and the body's own immune response, the authors state. These bacteria also create their own environment such as urinary calculi or stones. Nevertheless, these bacteria can spread to other organs such as the kidney. But more than 100 times as much antibiotic is needed to eradicate bacteria within a biofilm.