Antibody-Coated Bacteria in the Urine and the Site of Urinary-Tract Infection

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Abstract
An immunofluorescence test for the detection of antibody-coated bacteria in urinary sediments of patients with urinary-tract infections was studied for its predictive value in determining the site of infection. Antibody-coated bacteria were observed in urine specimens from 34 of 35 patients with pyelonephritis; they were not observed in urines from 19 of 20 patients with cystitis. Most of the patients (20 of 28) with antibody-coated bacteria in the urine had high serum antibody titers against their own infecting bacteria. These results suggest that the immunofluorescence test can be useful in distinguishing infection of the kidney from infection of the bladder. (N Engl J Med 290:588–590, 1974)