Figure 2.

Relative fungal DNA quantities in urine samples. Quantitative PCR for fungal ribosomal DNA was used to determine the median levels of fungal DNA in urine samples from asymptomatic female patients. The median levels in voided urinary samples were nearly an order of magnitude higher (8.5-fold) than those seen in catheterized specimens. These data imply the presence of substantial contamination from vaginal and possibly skin sources, suggesting that the analysis of voided specimens may be dominated by non-urinary microbes. PCR, polymerase chain reaction.