体内证据表明，尿路感染中的细菌在铁限制条件下生长。

Shand G H, Anwar H, Kadurugamuwa J, Brown M R, Silverman S H, Melling J

Infect Immun. 1985 Apr;48(1):35-9. doi: 10.1128/iai.48.1.35-39.1985.

The outer membrane protein composition of bacteria isolated directly and without subculturing from the urine of two patients with urinary tract infections was investigated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results indicated that the bacteria grew under iron-restricted conditions, as revealed by the expression of several high-molecular-weight outer membrane proteins which could also be observed when the same isolates were grown under iron-depleted conditions in laboratory media. The antigenicity of outer membrane components of the bacteria isolated was studied by immunoblotting with serum samples from the patients. The results indicated that the sera from the patients contained antibodies against major outer membrane components of the bacteria present in the urine, including the iron-regulated membrane proteins.

通过十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳对直接从两名尿路感染患者尿液中分离且未进行传代培养的细菌的外膜蛋白组成进行了研究。结果表明，这些细菌在铁限制条件下生长，这通过几种高分子量外膜蛋白的表达得以揭示，当相同分离株在实验室培养基中的缺铁条件下生长时也能观察到这些蛋白。用患者的血清样本通过免疫印迹法研究了分离出的细菌外膜成分的抗原性。结果表明，患者血清中含有针对尿液中存在的细菌主要外膜成分的抗体，包括铁调节膜蛋白。