[Comparative studies of the effectiveness of 1-day treatment and 7-day treatment with sulfamerazine/trimethoprim (Berlocombin) of patients with urinary tract infection].

Insights into the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections warrant reflections on new therapeutic strategies. Of particular interest is the phenomenon of bacterial adherence to cells, as the adhesion of microorganisms to uroepithelial cells plays an important role in the development of the disease. In 21 women with an acute episode of lower urinary tract infection who were known of having chronic pyelonephritis, we studied the influence of a one-day (n = 7) and a seven-day treatment by administering the regular sulfamerazine/trimethoprime (Berlocombin) dose (2 X 2 tablets from the 2nd day, n = 7) or a reduced amount (2 X 1 tablet from the 2nd day, n = 7). All treatment regimes led to a disappearance of the clinical symptoms; however, in one case of the group receiving one-day treatment, dysuric complaints recurred as early as on day 3 after therapy. Only when employing the regular schedule of therapy, the controls of the urine cultures revealed sterility of the urine for all cases still on the 21st day after treatment. This treatment regimen most clearly influenced the ability of the microorganisms to adhere to the uroepithelial cells of the probands (in-vivo adherence). The one-day treatment was not able to reduce the rates of bacterial adherence to the cells. In all patients, the acute disease resulted in an increase in microorganisms coated with antibodies; on day 21 following therapy, however, the findings registered were as before onset of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)