Abstract
Objectives
To assess the role of 16S ribosomal RNA analysis in microbial identification in febrile infants under six months of age diagnosed with UTI, and compare it with the conventional culture results.
Methods
Young infants under 6 mo of age who were suspected UTI from May 2018 to April 2019 had been enrolled. Uropathogens were analyzed by the traditional microbiologic culture system and the 16S rRNA analysis. The 16S rRNA analysis included 16S rRNA amplicon band confirmation and bacterial identification through the sequencing analysis.
Results
A total of 57 infants with the febrile UTI were enrolled, and the median age was 3 mo. Uropathogens were identified in 43 patients (75.4%) in a conventional culture method: Escherichia coli in 38 patients (88.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae in 3 (7.0%), Enterobacter cloacae in 1 (2.3%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 1 (2.3%). Fifty urine samples (87.8%) had positive 16S rRNA amplicon band on electrophoresis. Among the 16S rRNA–positive urines, 40 samples were available for the sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, and the identification of bacteria were as follows: E. fergusonii in 36, K. pneumoniae in 3, and Shigella flexneri in 1. The sensitivity of 16S rRNA sequencing was 81.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 67.4–90.3%] and the specificity was 64.3% (95% CI, 38.8–83.7%).
Conclusion
Uropathogen identification using 16S rRNA analysis could be applied to manage the febrile UTI in young infants clinically in combination with the conventional culture.
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Funding
This study was supported by a grant from the Jeju National University Hospital Research Fund (2017).
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JHC was primarily responsible for conceptualization, methodology, data curation, and writing the original draft; YMY and YJK participated in software, validation, and composition of the work; KHH was involved in conceptualization, methodology, data curation, supervision, and writing, reviewing and editing the manuscript. KHH will act as the guarantor for this paper.
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Choi, J.H., Yoon, Y.M., Kim, YJ. et al. Role of 16S Ribosomal RNA Analysis in Identification of Microorganisms in Febrile Urinary Tract Infection of Infants. Indian J Pediatr 90, 660–664 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-022-04121-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-022-04121-3