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PAPERS: Tero Kontiokari, Kaj Sundqvist, M Nuutinen, T Pokka, M Koskela, and M Uhari Randomised trial of cranberry-lingonberry juice and Lactobacillus GG drink for the prevention of urinary tract infections in women BMJ 2001; 322: 1571 [Abstract] [Full text]

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inaccurate report of data in abstract

Patricia Neumann   (1 July 2001)

Correction to the inaccurate comment

T Kontiokari   (2 July 2001)

Re: inaccurate report of data in abstract

Ruth Armstrong   (4 July 2001)

another means beside proanthocyanidins

Lon Jones   (8 July 2001)

Query

Maurizio Pantalone   (15 July 2001)

Randomization and blinding

T Kontiokari   (20 July 2001)

European, not American cranberries

Rainer Nowack   (21 July 2001)

baseline characteristics

rod campbell   (23 November 2007)

inaccurate report of data in abstract 1 July 2001
Patricia Neumann, physiotherapist continence adviser private practice Send response to journal: Re: inaccurate report of data in abstract	I wish to draw your attention to an inaccuracy in the abstract reporting the results of the trial of cranberry juice for recurrent urinary tract infection. The full article suggests that 16% of women using 5 ml of cranbberry juice had recurrent infections whereas the abstract reports that only 1% of women had recurrence. For those who read only the abstact, this suggests a far greater efficacy than was really the case. Yours sincerely Trish Neumann
Correction to the inaccurate comment 2 July 2001
T Kontiokari, Assistant professor University of Oulu Send response to journal: Re: Correction to the inaccurate comment	I suggest that Ms Neumann reads the abstract once again. I can only find right figure (16%) in both abstract and text. Furthermore, the amount of cranberry was 50 ml, not 5ml as stated in comment. Best regards, Tero Kontiokari
Re: inaccurate report of data in abstract 4 July 2001
Ruth Armstrong, Deputy Editor The Medical Journal of Australia Send response to journal: Re: Re: inaccurate report of data in abstract	The mistake is not in the abstract of the article itself. It's in "This week in the BMJ". ...surely not an editorial error!
another means beside proanthocyanidins 8 July 2001
Lon Jones, Family Practice Hale Center, Texas, USA Send response to journal: Re: another means beside proanthocyanidins	Zafriri (1) showed that the fructose in cranberry juice was about 1/10 as selective for the mannose lectins on type 1 pili, but was still sufficient to block adherence of the bacteria to cellular mannose. King (2) showed that mannose prevented adherence of Pseudomonas, Strep. xooepidemicus, as well as E coli to equiine endometrial tissue. She also saw a dose dependent retrograde movement of spermatozoa in the presence of higher concentrations of mannose (personal communication). Maybe the time will come that we can use simple sugars such as these to prevent post coital UTI's as well as unwanted pregancies. 1. Zafriri D, Ofek I, Adar R, Pocino M, Sharon N. Inhibitory activity of cranberry juice on adherence of type 1 and type P fimbriated Escherichia coli to eukartotic cells. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1989 Jan;33(1):92-8. 2. King SS, Young DA, Nequin LG, Carnevale EM. Use of specific sugars to inhibit bacterial adherence to equine endometrium in vitro. Am J Vet Res 2000 Apr;61(4):446-9.
Query 15 July 2001
Maurizio Pantalone ITALY Send response to journal: Re: Query	Reading This article about a "randomised" study on drinks, given in different quantities and, perhaps, colours: I actually I have some doubts about the correct planning of this trial: how could this study be randomised, beeng the enrolled persons clearly able to distinguish between the three preparations?
Randomization and blinding 20 July 2001
T Kontiokari Send response to journal: Re: Randomization and blinding	Randomization means a random allocation of subjects to one of the study groups. Blinding means that they don´t know what they will receive. This study was randomized but not blinded. Best regards, Tero Kontiokari
European, not American cranberries 21 July 2001
Rainer Nowack, nephrologist private practice in Lindau/Germany Send response to journal: Re: European, not American cranberries	Sir, I would like to point out some interpretational problems of the present study which are caused by inaccurate use of the name "cranberry". The study was planned to further substantiate the beneficial effects of juice from the American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) for prophylaxis of urinary tract infections. The american cranberry is indeed on old folk remedy in North-America and it has been shown that ingredients of that berry interfere with bacterial adhesion to mucosa. All these data, which come from research with the American cranberry are cited to explain the results of the present study. However, as mentioned only once in the text, juice from the American cranberry was not studied here. A mixture of Lingonberry-juice and of juice from the European cranberry (V. oxycoccus) was studied. To my knowledge there are not many data on ingredients of the European cranberry available. Do they also contain a high amount of proanthocyanides which prevent bacterial adhesíon? They may do, since the species are closely related botanically. Nevertheless, I think it has to be made much clearer here, that juice from a closely related but different fruit has been applied in this study.
baseline characteristics 23 November 2007
rod campbell, knowledge manager Knowledge services, babington hospital, derbyshire, de56 1wh Send response to journal: Re: baseline characteristics	There is a fairly large difference -(between 15(34%)in the cranberry group and 20(43%) in the control group) in the frequency of sexual intercourse >3 times per week during follow -up. Do you think that this could have affected outcomes? Competing interests: None declared