Link Found Between an Altered Vaginal Microbiota and Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Researchers have identified a link between altered vaginal microbiota and recurring UTIs in post-menopausal women.
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The human body hosts a diverse array of microorganisms that maintain a delicate balance crucial for overall health. This microbial harmony can be disrupted by factors like infections, aging, and hormonal changes, leading to dysbiosis—a condition where microbial communities become imbalanced and harmful to health. Postmenopausal women, for instance, are particularly susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections and inflammation, including cystitis, due to these microbial shifts.
Dr. Takanori Sekito from the Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan explains, “In postmenopausal women, the vaginal flora changes with a decrease in Lactobacillus species. Women experiencing recurrent infections of the urinary system, also known as recurrent cystitis have distinctive vaginal microbial colony compared to those with non-recurring cystitis.”
Is there a link between altered vaginal microbiota and recurrent cystitis?
Dr. Sekito teamed up with his colleagues Dr. Takuya Sadahira and Professor Motoo Araki from the Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, and Dr. Hidetada Hirakawa from the Department of Bacteriology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan to investigate the disease-causing bacterial colony residing in the urinary bladder and vagina of infected patients. This study, published online in Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy on June 4, 2024, highlights the association between urinary and vaginal pathogenic Escherichia coli in recurrent cystitis.
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Subscribe for FREEThe authors postulate that E. coli migrates back and forth between the two niches, infecting cells in both organs and causing the disease to recur despite the prior treatment with antibiotics. Dr. Sekito explains, “The vagina can serve as a reservoir of enteric bacteria, including E. coli, and cystitis can become intractable. In recurrent cystitis, it is important to target E. coli not only in the urine but also in the vagina.”
He further, added, “At the Okayama University, we are developing Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories, as a means of prevention and treatment of recurrent cystitis. This new ‘non-antimicrobial’ prevention will reduce the unnecessary administration of antimicrobials and the consequent emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The Lactobacillus suppositories will effectively regulate the vaginal environment and reduce the virulence of E. coli.”
In summary, this study highlights the crucial need to balance the microbial environment to favor protective bacteria for better health outcomes. Implementing new medical strategies based on these insights promises to revolutionize the management of recurrent cystitis, ensuring more effective and targeted treatments.
Reference: Sekito T, Sadahira T, Hirakawa H, Ishii A, Wada K, Araki M. Homology of Escherichia coli isolated from urine and vagina and their antimicrobial susceptibility in postmenopausal women with recurrent cystitis. J Infection Chemother. 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.jiac.2024.05.015
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