The role of biofilms in the pathogenesis of some chronic human infections is now widely accepted. However, the criteria used to determine whether a given infection is caused by biofilms remain unclear. In this chapter we discuss three infections that are caused by biofilms--infectious kidney stones, bacterial endocarditis, and cystic fibrosis lung infections--and focus on the role of the biofilm in disease pathogenesis. Biofilms are also important as environmental reservoirs for pathogens, and the biofilm growth mode may provide organisms with survival advantages in natural environments and increase their virulence. The consequences of pathogens living in environmental biofilms and an analysis of some specific environmental biofilm systems are presented.

中文翻译：

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细菌生物膜：与疾病发病机理的新兴联系。

生物膜在某些慢性人类感染的发病机理中的作用现已被广泛接受。但是，用于确定给定感染是否由生物膜引起的标准仍然不清楚。在本章中，我们讨论了由生物膜引起的三种感染-传染性肾结石，细菌性心内膜炎和囊性纤维化肺部感染-并着重介绍了生物膜在疾病发病机理中的作用。生物膜作为病原体的环境储存库也很重要，生物膜的生长方式可以为生物提供在自然环境中的生存优势，并提高其毒性。介绍了生活在环境生物膜中的病原体的后果以及对某些特定环境生物膜系统的分析。