A new method for detection and localization of urinary infection. The fluorescence antibody test.

The urinary sediment of 56 patients with active urinary infection were studied through a direct immunofluorescence technique in order to detect the presence of antibody-coated bacteria. In 35-36 pyelonephritis cases the results were positive. However, in 11 cases with lower urinary infection there was no sign of antibody coasted bacteria. A pathological intravenous pyelogram (IVP) was obtained from 33 pyelonephritic cases. In the flurorescent antibody (FA) test was positive, one was negative. In the remaining three pyelonephritic cases the IVP was normal the the FA test positive. In these three cases, cystography revealed the presence of ureterovesical backflow. A good statistical correlation was obtained by comparing the positive results of the test with the titer of serum antibody against the bacteria causing the infection. We have introduced some variation to the original method which permits simpler administration of this test to ambulatory patients and increases the diagnostic possibility of those cases of bacteriuria less than 100,000 bacteria/ml.