Activation of caspase 1/11 has been shown to contribute to epithelial cell death in vitro and exfoliation in vivo in C3H/HeN mice, suggesting that caspase-mediated exfoliation may expose the underlying epithelium upon which UPEC replicates during chronic cystitis (Nagamatsu et. al. in review). Here, CASP1 is linked to chronic cystitis.