Abstract
Proteus mirabilis was distinguishable from Escherichia coli and from several other species that may be associated with urinary tract infections when grown in a nutrient medium supplemented with 0.1 M L-methionine by the formation of large amounts of dimethyl disulfide and methyl mercaptan, which were detected by head-space gas-liquid chromatography (HS-GLC). E. coli could be detected by the same HS-GLC technique by ethanol production from methionine peptone water enriched with 1% either lactose or arabinose but not by any product from 10 amino acids tested. Ethanol from lactose was detected early in the exponential phase of growth. Significant numbers, 10(5) or more per ml, of E. coli in urine could be detected in about 5 h by ethanol production from an unshaken culture of urine in lactose methionine peptone water buffered at pH 7.2 (urine test medium); only a trace of dimethyl disulfide was produced. Significant numbers of P. mirabilis in urine could be detected in 4 h by dimethyl disulfide production and in 5 h by methyl mercaptan production from a shaken culture of urine in urine test medium; no ethanol was produced. Incubation of urine specimens in the test medium followed by examination by HS-GLC is proposed as a rapid method of detecting whether or not the urine contains significant numbers of E. coli or a species of Proteus.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Amundson S., Braude A. I., Davis C. E. Rapid diagnosis of infection by gas-liquid chromatography: analysis of sugars in normal and infected cerebrospinal fluid. Appl Microbiol. 1974 Aug;28(2):298–302. doi: 10.1128/am.28.2.298-302.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- BRUMFITT W., PERCIVAL A. PATHOGENESIS AND LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF NON-TUBERCULOUS URINARY TRACT INFECTION: A REVIEW. J Clin Pathol. 1964 Sep;17:482–491. doi: 10.1136/jcp.17.5.482. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brooks J. B., Kellogg D. S., Alley C. C., Short H. B., Handsfield H. H., Huff B. Gas chromatography as a potential means of diagnosing arthritis. I. Differentiation between staphylococcal, streptococcal, gonococcal, and traumatic arthritis. J Infect Dis. 1974 Jun;129(6):660–668. doi: 10.1093/infdis/129.6.660. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hayward N. J., Jeavons T. H., Nicholson A. J., Thornton A. G. Methyl mercaptan and dimethyl disulfide production from methionine by Proteus species detected by head-space gas-liquid chromatography. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Sep;6(3):187–194. doi: 10.1128/jcm.6.3.187-194.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KASS E. H. Bacteriuria and the diagnosis of infections of the urinary tract; with observations on the use of methionine as a urinary antiseptic. AMA Arch Intern Med. 1957 Nov;100(5):709–714. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1957.00260110025004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mitruka B. M., Carmichael L. E., Alexander M. Gas chromatographic detection of in vitro and in vivo activities of certain canine viruses. J Infect Dis. 1969 Jun;119(6):625–634. doi: 10.1093/infdis/119.6.625. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Phillips K. D., Tearle P. V., Willis A. T. Rapid diagnosis of anaerobic infections by gas-liquid chromatography of clinical material. J Clin Pathol. 1976 May;29(5):428–432. doi: 10.1136/jcp.29.5.428. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schlossberg D., Brooks J. B., Shulman J. Possibility of diagnosing meningitis by gas chromatography: cryptococcal meningitis. J Clin Microbiol. 1976 Mar;3(3):239–245. doi: 10.1128/jcm.3.3.239-245.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]