Urine volatile organic compounds profiling via GC-IMS combined with machine learning: a powerful diagnostic and pathogen differentiation tool for urinary tract infections
Abstract
Background The diagnostic delay associated with standard urine culture necessitates rapid, accurate alternatives for urinary tract infection (UTI) management. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by microbes represent a promising source of metabolic biomarkers for infection diagnosis. Objective To develop and validate a diagnostic model for UTI by integrating urine VOCs profiles obtained via gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) with clinical features using machine learning. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 258 adults with suspected UTI. Clean-catch midstream urine samples were collected for clinical urinalysis, culture (reference standard), and GC-IMS-based VOCs analysis. VOCs and clinical data were used to train and test machine learning models (Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine). Model performance was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and decision curve analysis. Results Among 258 enrolled patients, 152 (58.9%) were culture-positive. We identified 11 differentially expressed VOCs between infected and non-infected groups, with acetic acid, benzaldehyde, and furan being the most significant (Bonferroni-adjusted p < 0.05). A Random Forest model integrating both VOCs and clinical features demonstrated superior performance (AUC of 0.914, with an accuracy of 82.1% (95% CI: 71.8-89.8%), sensitivity of 87.0%, specificity of 75.0%, and an F1-score of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 258 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Association of lower urinary tract symptoms and OAB severity with quality of life and mental health in China, Taiwan and South Korea: results from a cross-sectional, population-based study
- Ten-Day Quadruple Therapy Comprising Low-Dose Rabeprazole, Bismuth, Amoxicillin, and Tetracycline Is an Effective and Safe First-Line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Population with High Antibiotic Resistance: a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Clinical Trial in China
- The Role of the NLR and PLR in Urinary Tract Infection
- Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance among Pilgrims with Infectious Diseases during Hajj: Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic
- Leclercia adecarboxylata urinary tract infection in a patient with bladder cancer and recurrent hematuria
- A Case Series of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Infection in Cancer Patients at an Academic Cancer Institute in the United States
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.