[Cultivation and morphology of nanobacteria in sera of patients with kidney calculi].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To detect, culture, and characterize the nanobacteria (NB) from sera of patients with kidney calculi in our department. METHODS: Blood samples of 24 patients with kidney calculi and of 3 healthy volunteers in our department were collected for NB culture in this study. We used immunohistochemistry, von kossa staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the appearance and components of cultural NB. RESULTS: Twenty-two blood samples out of 24 (91.67%) showed growth of NB, while no NB were detected in volunteers' blood samples. The infection rate of stone group was obviously higher than that of healthy volunteers. After a 4-week culture period, the light microscope revealed coccoid-shaped NB with a diameter of 100-500 nm, which could be identified by immunohistochemistry and von kossa staining. SEM and TEM (negative staining) revealed NB with a hollow interior coated in needle-like apatite crystals. Such nanoparticles could bud-off new ones and therefore appeared like living organisms. CONCLUSION: NB can be identified from sera of most patients involved in kidney calculi. It may have intimate relation to the formation of kidney calculi because the infection rate of NB blood samples of stone patients was significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers. Immunohistochemistry, von kossa staining, SEM and TEM are special methods for identifying NB from different aspects. The appearance and character are important points to distinguish NB from other nano-sized particles.