Defining the relationship between vaginal and urinary microbiomes

Abstract

Background: Although the vaginal and urinary microbiomes have been increasingly wellcharacterized in health and disease, few have described the relationship between these neighboring environments. Elucidating this relationship has implications for understanding how manipulation of the vaginal microbiome may affect the urinary microbiome and treatment of common urinary conditions.Objective: To describe the relationship between urinary and vaginal microbiomes using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We hypothesized that the composition of the urinary and vaginal microbiomes would be significantly associated, with similarities in predominant taxa.Study Design: This multicenter study collected vaginal swabs and catheterized urine samples from 186 women with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) enrolled in a parent study and 84 similarly aged controls. Investigators decided a priori that if vaginal and/or urinary microbiomes differed between continent and incontinent women, the groups would be analyzed separately; if similar, samples from continent and incontinent women would be pooled and analyzed together. A central laboratory sequenced variable regions 1-3 (v1-3) and characterized bacteria to the genus level. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) abundance was described for paired vaginal and urine samples. Pearson's correlation characterized the relationship between individual OTUs of paired samples. Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) evaluated the association between clinical variables (including MUI and control status) and vaginal and urinary OTUs, using the CCA function in the Vegan package (R version 3.5). Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) was used to find taxa that discriminated between vaginal and urinary samples.Results: Urinary and vaginal samples were collected from 212 women [mean age 53 (±11 years)] and results from 197-paired samples were available for analysis. As OTUs in MUI and control samples were related in CCA and since taxa did not discriminate between MUI or controls in either vagina or urine, MUI and control samples were pooled for further analysis. CCA of vaginal and urinary samples indicated that that 60 of the 100 most abundant OTUs in the samples largely overlapped. Lactobacillus was the most abundant genus in both urine and vagina (contributing on average 53% to an individual's urine sample and 64% to an individual's vaginal sample) (Pearson correlation r=0.53). Though less abundant than Lactobacillus, other bacteria with high Pearson correlation coefficients also commonly found in vagina and urine included: Gardnerella (r=0.70), Prevotella (r=0.64), and Ureaplasma (r=0.50). LEfSe analysis identified Tepidomonas and Flavobacterium as bacteria that distinguished the urinary environment for both MUI and controls as these bacteria were absent in the vagina (Tepidimonas effect size 2.38, p<0.001, Flavobacterium effect size 2.15, p<0.001). Though Lactobacillus was the most abundant bacteria in both urine and vagina, it was more abundant in the vagina (LEfSe effect size 2.72, p<0.001).Conclusion...

Vaginal microbiota and the potential of Lactobacillus derivatives in maintaining vaginal health

“…While UTIs are curable by antibiotics, severe complications including pyelonephritis, haematuria, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) can cause permanent kidney damage [ 127 , 128 ]. Studies have shown that pathogens such as Gardnerella , Prevotella , and Ureaplasma potentially ascended from vaginal tract before causing infection in the urinary tract via the urethra and urinary bladder [ 129 – 131 ]. Vaginal dysbiosis has been shown to increase the risk of UTIs acquisition as compared to Lactobacillus -dominated vaginal microbiota [ 123 , 132 ].…”

Evaluation of the Inhibitory Effects of Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus crispatus on the Adhesion of Seven Common Lower Genital Tract Infection-Causing Pathogens to Vaginal Epithelial Cells

“…There is a significant correlation between Lactobacillus colonization in the vagina and clinical outcomes (12,13,17). Lactobacillus, as the dominant bacterium, can balance the microbial flora of the genitourinary tract through a variety of mechanisms including host immune regulation, recovery of the vaginal flora, and interference with pathogen colonization (18,19). It is important for restoring the normal state of the flora and preventing infections and disease recurrence (9,18,20,21).…”

Introducing Lu-1, a Novel Lactobacillus jensenii Phage Abundant in the Urogenital Tract

“…Currently, there is debate as to whether the vaginal and urinary tract communities are distinct microbiota or if they are interconnected. 16S rRNA gene sequence studies have identified the same genera across the two sites [2,3]. Whole genome sequencing of vaginal and urinary tract isolates of the same species from the same individual suggests that the two microbiota are connected [4].…”

“…Lactobacilli are a prominent member of the healthy female urogenital tract [1]. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun whole genome sequencing of the vaginal and urinary tract microbiota have identified the same species in both niches, suggesting that the two microbiota are in fact interconnected [2][3][4]. The healthy vaginal microbiota is often dominated by one of four Lactobacillus species: Lactobacillus crispatus, L. iners, L. gasseri, or L. jensenii [5,6].…”