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. 2019 Mar 26;8(3):415.
doi: 10.3390/jcm8030415.

A Culture-Independent Analysis of the Microbiota of Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Participants in the MAPP Research Network

J Curtis Nickel  1 , Alisa J Stephens-Shields  2 , J Richard Landis  3 , Chris Mullins  4 , Adrie van Bokhoven  5 , M Scott Lucia  6 , Jeffrey P Henderson  7 , Bhaswati Sen  8 , Jaroslaw E Krol  9 , Garth D Ehrlich  10   11 ; MAPP Research Network  12
Affiliations

A Culture-Independent Analysis of the Microbiota of Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Participants in the MAPP Research Network

J Curtis Nickel et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

We surveyed urine microbiota of females diagnosed with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and matched control participants enrolled in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network using the culture-independent methodology. Midstream urine specimens were analyzed with the Plex-ID molecular diagnostic platform that utilizes polymerase chain reaction⁻electrospray ionization⁻time-of-flight⁻mass spectrometry (PCR-ESI-TOF MS) to provide a comprehensive identification of bacterial and select fungal species. IC/BPS and control participants were evaluated for differences (presence, diversity, and abundance) in species and genus. Urine specimens obtained from 181 female IC/BPS and 182 female control participants detected a total of 92 species (41 genera). Mean (SD) species count was 2.49 (1.48) and 2.30 (1.28) among IC/BPS and control participants, respectively. Overall species composition did not significantly differ between IC/BPS and control participants at any level (p = 0.726 species level, p = 0.222 genus level). IC/BPS participants urine trended to an overabundance of Lactobacillus gasseri (p = 0.09) detected but had a lower prevalence of Corynebacterium compared with control participants (p = 0.002). The relative abundance data analysis mirrored the prevalence data differences with no significant differences in most species or genus abundance other than Lactobacillus gasseri and Corynebacterium (p = 0.08 and p = 0.001, respectively). No cause and/or effect conclusion can be drawn from this observation, but it suggests that a more comprehensive evaluation (vaginal, bowel, catheterized bladder and/or tissue-based specimens) of the lower urinary tract microbiota in IC/BPS patients is warranted.

Keywords: bladder pain syndrome; infection; interstitial cystitis; microbiome; microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Venn diagram of overlapping species. A total of 92 species were detected with 29 species in IC/BPS only, 20 species in controls only, and 43 in both IC/BPS and controls
Figure 2
Figure 2
Differences in mean relative abundance at the species level (IC/BPS minus controls). Blue indicates more abundant among urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS). Yellow is more abundant among controls.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Differences in mean relative abundance at the genus level (IC/BPS minus controls) Blue indicates more abundant among UCPPS. Yellow is more abundant among controls.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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