Abstract
Urine was considered sterile in healthy individuals for many years, and the presence of bacteria signified urinary tract infection. With the development of Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture (EQUC) and utilization of molecular techniques, the previous clinical dogma is no longer valid. Instead, healthy people harbor a considerable microbial community, or microbiota, in their urinary systems. Similar to other physiological niches where microbiota contribute to the health status of their hosts, recent studies demonstrated different microbial populations also play a crucial role in urinary health of individuals. Understanding urinary microbiome thus allows a more holistic approach in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and disorders in urinary system. This review article provides an overview of current findings in urinary microbiome and discusses some of the gaps for future research.
Highlights
The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) launched in 2008 ushered in a new era of understanding the microbial communities residing with us
This review provides a general overview of urinary microbiome, its compositions and associations with different age and gender
Urolithiasis cases are higher in adults, and some postulate the lower number of O. formigenes along with other factors may contribute to the increased concentration of oxalate in these individuals’ urine [34,35]
Summary
The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) launched in 2008 ushered in a new era of understanding the microbial communities residing with us. In the last few years with advanced culturing techniques and molecular approaches, we realized the urinary system contains extensive numbers and members of bacteria in healthy and asymptomatic individuals [9,10,11,12]. They are uniquely different than populations in the gut and vagina, two niches in close proximity from the bladder [5]. This review provides a general overview of urinary microbiome, its compositions and associations with different age and gender The effects of these microbes in the health status are further illustrated by examples of diseases and disorders resulted from changes of microbial communities. The paper concludes with research gaps and future directions of urinary microbiome research
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