Khaberni - Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have for the first time discovered the presence of bacterial colonies hidden within the internal structure of traditionally classified "non-infectious" kidney stones.
This discovery challenges prevailing medical notions about the causes of stone formation and opens new perspectives on understanding one of the most common urinary tract diseases.
The study focused on calcium oxalate stones, which account for more than 70% of kidney stone cases worldwide.
Using advanced microscopic techniques such as electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, the researchers managed to observe the chemical and structural composition of integrated bacterial colonies within human stone samples. Most intriguingly, these findings were even found in patients who had not previously shown symptoms of urinary tract infections.
Professor Kimura Scotland, a urologist and team leader, commented: "This discovery shatters the prevailing scientific assumption that stone formation is exclusively due to physicochemical factors such as dehydration or high mineral concentrations. We have shown that bacteria can colonize stones and play an active role in their structural formation."
These results hint at a new explanation for the complex relationship between recurrent urinary tract infections and recurrent stone formation, where an underlying bacterial infection in the kidneys or ureter could be an ongoing, undiagnosed stimulating factor. The study also offers a promising therapeutic perspective targeting the microbial environment associated with stone formation, which could reduce recurrence rates that affect millions worldwide.
With one in every eleven people suffering from kidney stones during their lifetime, this research published in the journal PNAS lays a cornerstone for re-examining diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for one of the most bothersome and life-disabling medical conditions.
