The microbiome of the bladder in healthy women. A longitudinal pilot study (MiHoP)

• Applicant: Dr. Lena Biehl
• Subject Area: Reproductive Medicine, Urology ; Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens ; Pneumology, Thoracic Surgery
• Term: from 2016 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 299241415

Recurent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) represent a major indication for antibiotic treatment. To counteract further development of antibiotic resistances within this context, identifying non-antibiotic prophylactic and therapeutic measures is of high importance. The success of recently studied interventions like immunotherapy with Escherichia coli antigens and intravaginal probiotics suggest a major role of the host microbiome. Due to advances in high throughput sequencing, a great deal of research is nowadays studying the human microbiome with a major focus on the intestinal microbiome and its interactions with various organ systems. Only a couple of studies have postulated the presence of a specific microbiome of the bladder and have investigated first associations with urogenital diseases. However, the role of the microbiome of the bladder in recurrent urinary tract infections has not been addressed so far.Analogous to the influence of antibiotics and an altered composition of the intestinal microbiome in the pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile infections, it can be hypothesized that a change in the microbiome of the bladder influences the emergence of recurrent urinary tract infections. Alterations in the intestinal and vaginal microbiome may be further influencing factors in this context. To verify these hypotheses, knowledge of the longitudinal variability of the microbiome of the bladder in healthy individuals is warranted. This control group data will lay grounds for further studies examining possible disease related interactions between antibiotic treatment, vaginal and intestinal microbiome as well as the microbiome of the bladder. Based on the results, future therapeutic and preventive measures may be developed.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Maria J G T Vehreschild