Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
5 years ago

Women with symptoms of a urinary tract infection but a negative urine culture: PCR-based quantification of Escherichia coli suggests infection in most cases

Our objective was to examine whether or not women with symptoms of a urinary tract infection but with a negative culture (20%–30%) do have an infection. Methods We performed quantitative PCR (qPCR) for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, on top of a standard culture, in urine samples from 220 women with dysuria and/or frequency and/or urgency and from 86 women without symptoms. For symptomatic women, qPCR was also carried out for four sexually transmitted agents. Results In the symptomatic group, 80.9% (178/220) of the urine cultures were positive for any uropathogen and 95.9% (211/220) were E. coli qPCR-positive. For the control group, cultures for E. coli and E. coli qPCR were positive in, respectively, 10.5% (9/86) and 11.6% (10/86). In the symptomatic group, qPCR yielded 19 positive samples for S. saprophyticus qPCR, one positive sample for Mycoplasma genitalium and one for Trichomonas vaginalis. Conclusions These findings suggest that almost all women with typical urinary complaints and a negative culture still have an infection with E. coli.

Publisher URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science

DOI: S1198743X17302094

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