Urinary tract infection: Diagnostic value of antibody-coated bacteria and lysozyme in urine

Detection of antibody-coated bacteria [ACB] and lysozyme [LZ] in voided urine was investigated in relation to the site of urinary tract infection [UTI]. 62.9% of the 35 cases diagnosed clinically as upper UTI were positive for both tests. Lysozyme test was negative in 17.1% of the upper UTI group, while ACB test was negative in another 14.3% of the same group. On the other hand, 13.3% and 6.6% of the 15 cases diagnosed clinically as lower UTI were positive for lysozyme and ACB tests, respectively. The use of a combination of these 2 simple and noninvasive tests on urine samples based on different mechanisms has confirmed the clinical diagnosis of 94.3% of upper UTI

Beta-lactamase production in bacteria resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics

In this study, beta lactamase production among 25 bacterial strains resistant to beta lactam antibiotics was screened by Knox and Smith and the rapid iodometric method. Quantitative determination of this enzyme was also done by a modification of Kavanagh bioassay method. Ampicillin degradation was also measured spectrophotometrically. Out of 18 strains resistant to ampicillin, 7 were penicillinase producers. Only four strains were resistant to Cefamandole, three of them were cephalosporinase producers. The resistance to Aztreonam was restricted to Gram-positive organisms [nine strains]. None of them was able to inactivate this antibiotic. Out of the nine beta lactamases described in this study, two were cephalosporinases, four were penicillinases and three had a combined cephalosporinase and penicillinase activity