Electron Microscopy Findings in Urines from Women with Cystitis

<p>TEM analysis of human cystitis urine specimens (A) revealed large collections of bacteria associated with nuclei and other cellular debris. These collections of bacteria from human urines (B) have similar morphology and organization as those recovered from intact murine intracellular bacterial communities (C). Bacteria and filaments were also observed intracellularly within exfoliated epithelial cells in a urine sample quickly fixed and analyzed from an E. coli cystitis patient (D). SEM analysis of cystitis urines deemed positive for IBCs and filaments captured large bacterial biofilm-like collections (E and F) composed of bacteria with a smaller, more coccoid morphology than typical E. coli. Long filaments were also captured by SEM (G). Scale bars, 2 μm (A and D), 1 μm (B and C), and 5 μm (E–G).