The correlation of crystalline and elemental composition of urinary stones with a history of bacterial infections: TXRF, XRPD and PCR-DGGE studies

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between past bacterial infections and the type and chemical composition of urinary stones experienced by human patients. Bacteria have been recognized to contribute to urinary stones; however, the role of uropathogens in the development of specific stones has not been extensively investigated. The detection of past bacterial infection (eleven different bacterial species) in urinary stones from 83 patients was made on a DNA level using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and correlated with the chemical composition of urinary stones measured using X-ray powder diffraction (XPRD) technique and their elemental composition by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). In this study, two scenarios of urinary stones formation mediated by Proteus sp. or Escherichia coli are presented. The first one is associated with Proteus spp. which dominated in 84% of infectious urinary stones and is strongly correlated with struvite and calcium phosphate, in whose matrix additionally strontium, phosphorus, potassium, nickel and zinc are detected. The formation of these stones is closely correlated with urease activity. The second scenario for urinary stone mineralization is associated with E. coli identified in weddellite stones, in which matrix iron was detected. In conclusion, the statistical correlations of bacterial infections with crystalline and elemental composition showed that in mixed bacterial infections, one scenario dominated and excluded the second one.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00249-018-1338-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Assessment of Bacterial Communities Within the Biofilm of Bladder Calculi in the Neurogenic Bladder Rat Model Following Spinal Cord Injury

“…Recent advances in culture techniques and molecular biology, such as enhanced quantitative urine culture and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, have revealed that there are a variety of microorganisms that are not well identified in standard urine cultures [ 7 , 8 ]. The combination of DGGE and PCR allows the identification of the DNA of various microorganisms present in the biofilm of urinary calculi, which can help determine how they play a role in the formation of bladder calculi [ 9 , 20 ]. As a result of the combination of DGGE and PCR, P. aeruginosa was the most dominant within the biofilm of bladder calculi from each of the six rats with NB following SCI.…”

X-ray Fluorescence Techniques in Determining the Habitat Preferences of Species—Ulva pilifera (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) from Montenegro Case Study

“…TXRF measurements were performed with the S 2 PICOFOX spectrometer (Bruker AXS Microanalysis GmbH). On the basis of [55,56] the characteristic X-rays were excited in the samples with the 30 W Mo-anode X-ray tube operated at 50 kV with an electron current of 0.6 mA. Fluorescence X-rays from the samples were detected by Peltier-cooled XFlash silicon drift detector (with an area 10 mm 2 ) having an energy resolution of approx.…”

“…Fluorescence X-rays from the samples were detected by Peltier-cooled XFlash silicon drift detector (with an area 10 mm 2 ) having an energy resolution of approx. 160 eV at 100 kcps for Mn-Kα line [56]. The measurements were performed in the air.…”

Elemental and statistical analysis of small individual urinary stones using TXRF spectrometry

“…Pioneering work characterizing urinary stones with TXRF and XRD was done by Kubala‐Kuskus et al, 18–20 which however has not found its way to a more routine application. Using TXRF and X‐ray diffraction, the correlation between the chemical compositions of the urinary stones and the previous bacterial infections (eleven bacterial species) has been reported.…”