Immunostimulation with Escherichia coli extract: prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections

Multiple renal abscesses leading to nephrectomy of the solitary kidney in a young female with type 1 diabetes and history of recurrent urinary tract infections

This report presents the case of a young female suffered for many years from type 1 diabetes, complicated by recurrent urinary tract infections and urosepsis with multiple abscesses which led to right nephrectomy in 2002. The patient was hospitalised in our Department in June 2009 because of urosepsis in the course of multiple left renal abscesses and subsequent acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. A dramatic decision of removing the solitary kidney was taken, and patient was included in a long-term renal replacement therapy programme in our Centre as a preparation to kidney and pancreas transplantation.

A prospective multi-center trial of Escherichia coli extract for the prophylactic treatment of patients with chronically recurrent cystitis

We have assessed the efficacy and safety of Escherichia coli extract (ECE; Uro-Vaxom) which contains active immunostimulating fractions, in the prophylactic treatment of chronically recurrent cystitis. Forty-two patients with more than 2 episodes of cystitis in the proceeding 6 months were treated for 3 months with one capsule daily of ECE and observed for a further 6 months. The primary efficacy criterion was the number of episodes of recurrent cystitis during the 6 months after treatment compared to those during the 6 months before treatment. At the end of the 9-month trial, 34 patients (all women) were eligible for statistical analysis. Their mean age was 56.4 yr (range, 34-75 yr), and they had experienced recurrent urinary tract infections for 7.2+/-5.2 yr. The number of recurrences was significantly lower during the 6-month follow-up period than during the 6 months preceding the trial (0.35 vs. 4.26, P<0.001). During the follow-up, 28 (82.4%) patients had no recurrences and 4 (11.8%) had 1 each. In patients who relapsed, ECE alleviated cystitis symptoms, including painful voiding, frequency and urgency. There were no serious adverse events related to the study drug. Our study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of ECE in the prophylactic treatment of chronically recurrent cystitis.