Nanobacteria and urinary stones

ABSTRACT

Urinary stones have plagued man over the centuries. Recently nanobacteria have been isolated from mammalian blood products. In this study we report the incidence and microbiological findings related to the isolation of nanobacteria from patients with urolithiasis. 78 urinary stones, 20 blood and 10 urine samples were collected from patients aged from six months to 89 years. In addition 27 aged matched controls were investigated. Nanobacteria were detected by using cell culture conditions, DNA-staining method and transmission electron microscopy.Nanobacteria were detected in 66.6% of demineralized urinary stones, 70% blood, 80% urine and 7.4% controls. Nanobacteria were coccoid, variable in size 0.05 - 0.5 microm and passed through 0.2 micro filters. In addition, nanobacterial culture systems allow reproducible production of apatite calcification in vitro. The epidemiology of 78 patients diagnosed with urinary stones was also studied. Their mean age was 36.1 years. Male to female ratio was 3.3 1. Stones from 78 patients were subjected to chemical analysis. Of these 5% consisted of calcium phosphate, 4% consisted of calcium oxalate and 1.3% consisted of uric acid. Stones were predominantly of mixed type 56.7%. Calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate were the commonest components. There is a significant relation between urinary stones and nanobacteria