Microbiome profiling in patients with Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial cystitis

Abstract

We conducted a microbiome study on BPS/IC patients with Hunner’s lesions to investigate the differences in local microbiome compositions within a single bladder. In addition, we compared BPS/IC urine samples with matched controls and overactive bladder (OAB) patients with or without detrusor overactivity. Furthermore, we performed a small pilot to evaluate the stability of the microbiome composition over time in a single BPS/IC patient.

Tissue samples were obtained from bladder mucosa from five adult female BPS/IC patients with confirmed Hunner’s lesions. From each patient one biopsy was taken from within the Hunner’s lesion area and one from outside the Hunner’s lesion area.

Urine samples from all five BPS/IC patients were compared to urine samples from normal age and sex matched controls (n $=$ 12), female OAB patients with detrusor overactivity (n $=$ 12) and female OAB patients without detrusor overactivity (n $=$ 9). The 16S rRNA V1–V2 region amplification and gel electrophoresis were used to determine the microbiota.

Our results showed the small tissue size from a cold-cup mucosal biopsy yielded insufficient microbial DNA for 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Urine microbiome analyses demonstrated that there was no single bacterial genus that was specific for BPS/IC patients compared to the other groups. There was a wide variability in microbiome composition between the BPS/IC patients, but no significant difference was observed in the Shannon numerical analyses (microbiome diversity) in BPS/IC patients compared to controls. The small pilot that was done to evaluate microbiome stability over time in a single BPS/IC patient, showed remarkable stability of microbiome composition during a one-year follow-up.