What is in the UTI AST Panel?

The TRUPCR® UTI AST Panel Kit contains eight multiplexed reactions distributed over five tubes, covering resistance to five major antibiotic groups. The resistance genes detected include:

• Carbapenem resistance: blaKPC, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaOXA-48, blaIMP
• ESBLs (Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases): TEM, SHV, CTX-M
• Methicillin resistance: mecA
• Vancomycin resistance: vanA, vanB
• Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistance: dfrA1, dfrA5, sul2

Each gene is detected via fluorophore-specific TaqMan hydrolysis probes, ensuring high sensitivity and no cross-reactivity. The assay includes an endogenous internal control per tube for PCR integrity checks.

Role of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Disease

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections and are increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The UTI AST panel focuses on resistance genes that significantly affect treatment outcomes:

• Carbapenemases (e.g., blaNDM, blaKPC) enable resistance to last-resort antibiotics, causing treatment failures.
• ESBLs like CTX-M and SHV hydrolyze cephalosporins and are prevalent in community and hospital-acquired infections.
• mecA confers resistance to methicillin and other beta-lactams, contributing to multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains.
• vanA/vanB mediate vancomycin resistance in Gram-positive organisms.
• sul2, dfrA1, dfrA5 encode resistance to antifolate drugs like trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

Identifying these genes enables faster, targeted therapy—reducing empirical antibiotic use and preventing further resistance.

About the TRUPCR® UTI AST Panel Kit

The TRUPCR® UTI AST Panel Kit is designed to detect the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance directly from urine samples or cultured isolates. It supports informed antibiotic selection in UTI management by identifying specific AMR gene profiles. With validated performance on over 500 clinical specimens, this panel has shown high diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility.

The test provides a solution for clinical microbiology labs aiming to reduce turnaround times in antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), especially in time-sensitive or high-throughput settings.

Principle and Workflow

This multiplex real-time PCR assay employs TaqMan probes for gene-specific detection. The steps include:

1. Extract genomic DNA from urine samples or cultured isolates.
2. Set up the 20 µl reaction at room temperature using ready-to-use master mix (UNG included).
3. Run the assay on a compatible qPCR instrument (CFX96, ABI 7500, QuantStudio® 5, Rotor-Gene Q).
4. Interpret results based on fluorophore signals in the FAM, HEX, Texas Red, and Cy5 channels.

The presence of internal control in every tube ensures data validity and flags any PCR inhibition or setup error.

Clinical Application

The UTI AST Panel is suited for:

• Clinical microbiology labs managing complicated UTIs
• Antibiotic stewardship programs
• Infection control teams targeting multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs)
• Hospitals and outpatient labs needing rapid turnaround for AST

It bridges the gap between traditional culture-based AST (which may take 48+ hours) and the need for timely, genotype-based resistance profiling. Particularly effective in outbreak containment and targeted therapy planning, the kit can play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes and reducing AMR burden.