Interplay between bladder microbiota and overactive bladder symptom
severity: a cross‐sectional study
Abstract
Objective To investigate the relationship between the bladder
microbiota and overactive bladder (OAB) symptom severity.
Design Cross-sectional study of female OAB patients who
contributed catheterised urine samples, completed validated symptom
questionnaires, and provided demographic data. Setting Nanfang
Hospital, Southern Medical University. Population Adult women
with overactive bladder symptom. Methods 70 OAB patients were
recruited, finished symptoms questionnaires, demographic data, and
contributed catheterised urine samples that were analysed by 16S rRNA
gene sequencing. Main outcome measures Associations between the
total/sub scores of Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and bladder
microbiota (diversity, overall community structure, and specific
organisms). Results We found that bacterial diversity (Simpson
index, P = 0.024) and richness (Chao1, P = 0.023) of mild
patients (OABSS ≤5, N = 17) were lower than those of moderate/severe
patients (OABSS > 5, N = 53). And bacterial communities of
two groups were significantly different. Further, there were positive
correlations between scores of OABSS and both richness (Chao1, P
= 0.002) and diversity (Shannon index, P = 0.044) of urinary
microbiome. Some bacterial genera (e.g., Porphyromona and
Prevotella) were significantly related to sub-symptoms of OAB.
Conclusion This cross-sectional analysis revealed that
increased diversity and richness of the bladder microbiota was
associated with worse OAB severity, and specific urinary dysbiosis may
constitute an etiological factor in exacerbating functional bladder
disorders. Keywords overactive bladder; LUTS; urinary
microbiome; urinary microbiota; bladder microbiota Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81870522)
Tweetable abstract Bladder microbiota is associated with female
OAB severity.