Rapid detection of bacteria in urine samples by the “three-plug-injection” method using capillary electrophoresis

This study explored a method that can rapidly detect bacteria in urine samples for the auxiliary determination of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Urine samples from patients with UTIs (230 cases) were obtained using aseptic technique. The urine biochemical assay was then carried out using an automated urine analyzer for all the urine samples. Bacterial species were identified by a combination of bacterial culture technique, morphological observation and the BACT-IST microbial identification/susceptibility analysis system. The most common seven species of bacteria in the study included Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Bacterial samples were suspended in sample buffer solutions and separated by the “three-plug-injection” method using capillary electrophoresis (CE). Each species of bacteria appeared as a bacterial peak. The mixture of the seven species also provided only one peak. Further analysis showed that the concentration limit for the “three-plug-injection” method is 106 colony forming units (CFU)/mL, and there is a good linear relationship between the peak height and bacterial concentration (R2 = 0.99). The effect of urine composition on CE results was also investigated. The results showed that urine composition, i.e., proteins, white blood cells (WBCs) and red blood cells (RBCs), affected the peak retention time but could not affect the separation of bacteria. The results demonstrated that the bacteria in urine samples can be detected within 10 min by the “three-plug-injection” method using CE. The “three-plug-injection” method is therefore suitable for the rapid detection of organisms in clinical urine samples from UTIs.