We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Female Bladder Bacteria Reveal Urogenital Microbiota

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 11 Jul 2018
Contrary to medical dogma, urine is not sterile, even in asymptomatic individuals. More...
For over 60 years, the standard urine culture protocol has represented the primary tool for detecting bacteria in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Culture-independent analysis of urine obtained by suprapubic aspirate, which bypasses the vulva, vagina, and urethra, demonstrates the presence of bacteria in the bladders of women. A new study has found that the female bladder not only contains bacteria, but the microbes are similar to those found in the vagina.

Scientists from the Loyola University Chicago (Maywood, IL, USA) and their international colleagues collected urine samples by transurethral catheter from female that were recruited from a separate study. Four patients were chosen to sample both the bladder and vaginal environments. All samples underwent standard urine culture (SUC) as well as expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC). Each morphologically distinct colony type was isolated on a different plate of the same medium to prepare a pure culture that was used for identification. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrophotometry with the MALDI Biotyper 3.0 software program was used to identify the bacterial strains.

Genomic DNA was extracted from pelleted cells using a phenol–chloroform method. DNA was prepared and sequenced using the Illumina Hi-Seq platform with library fragment sizes of 200–300 bp and a read length of 100 bp. Whole-genome metagenomic sequencing was performed on the Illumina HiSeq 2500. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted by extracting amino acid sequence of 40 universal single copy marker genes from bacterial collections.

The team isolated and genome-sequenced 149 bacterial strains from catheterized urine of 77 women. This culture collection spans 78 species, representing approximately two thirds of the bacterial diversity within the sampled bladders, including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Detailed genomic and functional comparison of the bladder microbiota to the gastrointestinal and vaginal microbiotas demonstrates similar vaginal and bladder microbiota, with functional capacities that are distinct from those observed in the gastrointestinal microbiota. Uropathogenic species, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloaceae, Morganella morganii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, represented only 7.7% (6/78) of the phylogenetic diversity cultivatable from the bladder.

Whole-genome phylogenetic analysis of bacterial strains isolated from the vagina and bladder in the same women identifies highly similar E. coli, Streptococcus anginosus, Lactobacillus iners, and Lactobacillus crispatus, suggesting an interlinked female urogenital microbiota that is not only limited to pathogens but is also characteristic of health-associated commensals.

The author concluded that this unique genome-sequenced culture collection should alter the way doctors view the bacteria of the female pelvic floor both by providing new diagnostic and treatment options for urinary tract infections (UTIs), urgency urinary incontinence, and other associated urinary tract disorders. The study was originally published online on April 19, 2018, in the journal Nature Communications.

Related Links:
Loyola University Chicago


New
Gold Member
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
Sample Transportation System
Tempus1800 Necto
Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer
MS-i3080
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New evidence shows viscoelastic testing can improve assessment of blood clotting during postpartum hemorrhage (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Viscoelastic Testing Could Improve Treatment of Maternal Hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage, severe bleeding after childbirth, remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, yet many of these deaths are preventable. Standard care can be hindered by delays... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The CloneSeq-SV approach can allow researchers to study how cells within high-grade serous ovarian cancer change over time (Photo courtesy of MSK)

Blood Test Tracks Treatment Resistance in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because it spreads microscopically throughout the abdomen, and although initial surgery and chemotherapy can work, most... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to improve access to Hb variant testing with the Gazelle POC diagnostic platform (Photo courtesy of Hemex Health)

Terumo BCT and Hemex Health Collaborate to Improve Access to Testing for Hemoglobin Disorders

Millions of people worldwide living with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders experience delayed diagnosis and limited access to effective care, particularly in regions where testing is scarce.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.