An introduction to the study of human urinary microbiome

Czech version

Authors: Jan Hrbáček ¹; Vítězslav Hanáček ¹; Pavel Čermák ²; Daniel Morais ³; Roman Zachoval ¹
Authors‘ workplace: Urologická klinika 3. LF UK a Thomayerovy nemocnice, Praha ¹; Oddělení klinické mikrobiologie, Thomayerova nemocnice, Praha ²; Mikrobiologický ústav Akademie věd České republiky, Praha ³
Published in: Ces Urol 2021; 25(1): 17-26
Category: Review article

Overview

Hrbáček J, Hanáček V, Čermák P, Morais D, Zachoval R. An introduction to the study of human urinary microbiome.

The assumption of healthy urine being sterile has been contradicted recently when the existence of urinary microbiota (UM) was revealed. Extended quantitative urine culture is based on longer incubation times in a wide selection of diverse growth conditions; bacteria are detected even in samples reported as negative by the standard urine culture protocol. Next‑generation sequencing helps with taxonomic assignment of prokaryotic DNA fragments according to the sequence in hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Human UM is composed of the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. Female UM is dominated by the genus Lactobacillus, male urotypes have not been assigned with certainty to date. Changes in UM have been associated with functional disorders of the genitourinary tract (lower urinary tract symptoms, urge urinary incontinence, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, chronic kidney disease), chronic pelvic pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis and even with urinary bladder cancer. UM may potentially play many a role; what they are is a matter of ongoing research. UM might be a useful tool in the diagnostics and therapy of disease.

Keywords:

Extended quantitative urine culture – genitourinary system – human microbiome – next generation sequencing

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