Project description:The anaerobic actinobacterium Gardnerella was first isolated from the bladder by suprapubic aspiration more than fifty years ago. Since then, Gardnerella has been increasingly recognized as a common and often abundant member of the female urinary microbiome (urobiome). Some studies even suggest that the presence of Gardnerella is associated with urological disorders in women. We recently reported that inoculation of Gardnerella into the bladders of mice results in urothelial exfoliation. Here we performed whole bladder RNA-seq in our mouse model to identify additional host pathways involved in the response to Gardnerella bladder exposure. The transcriptional response to Gardnerella reflected the urothelial turnover that is a consequence of exfoliation, while also illustrating the activation pathways involved in inflammation and immunity. Additional timed exposure experiments in mice provided further evidence of a potentially clinically relevant consequence of bladder exposures to Gardnerella -- increased susceptibility to subsequent UTI caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Together these data provide a broader picture of the bladder response to Gardnerella and lay the groundwork for future studies examining the impact of Gardnerella on bladder health.
Project description:the same population of EPCs was detected in bladder cancer patients. The EPCs, whose function could be reversed via anti-CD71 treatment, were induced by the circRNA TFRC (circular RNA derived from the transferrin receptor mRNA; cTFRC) in bladder cancer exosomes.
Project description:PurposeThe etiology of postmenopausal recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) is not completely known, but the urinary microbiome is thought to be implicated. We compared the urinary microbiome in menopausal women with recurrent UTIs to age-matched controls, both in the absence of acute infection.Materials and methodsThis is a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 64 women enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study. All women were using topically applied vaginal estrogen. Women >55 years of age from the following groups were enrolled: 1) recurrent UTIs on daily antibiotic prophylaxis, 2) recurrent UTIs not on antibiotic prophylaxis and 3) age-matched controls without recurrent UTIs. Catheterized urine samples were collected at least 4 weeks after last treatment for UTI and at least 6 weeks after initiation of vaginal estrogen. Samples were evaluated using expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing.ResultsWith EQUC, there were no significant differences in median numbers of microbial species isolated among groups (p=0.96), even when considering Lactobacilli (p=0.72). However, there were trends toward different Lactobacillus species between groups. With 16S rRNA sequencing, the majority of urine samples contained Lactobacillaceae, with nonsignificant trends in relative abundance among groups. Using a Bayesian analysis, we identified significant differences in anaerobic taxa associated with phenotypic groups. Most of these differences centered on Bacteroidales and the family Prevotellaceae, although differences were also noted in Actinobacteria and certain genera of Clostridiales.ConclusionsAssociations between anaerobes within the urinary microbiome and postmenopausal recurrent UTI warrants further investigation.
Project description:We present a 62-year-old woman who developed recurrent urinary tract infections in her early fifties and, after an evaluation by an infectious disease physician, was referred for a neurological consultation. Her history and neurological examination were consistent with spastic paraparesis and there was significant family history of a variety of neurological diagnoses suggesting a genetic disorder. Whole exome genetic testing revealed a novel change, a c.508 C > T variant in the SPAST gene. Our genetic and protein modeling analysis suggest that this is a disease-producing mutation confirming the diagnosis of hereditary spastic paraplegia type 4 (SPG4). This patient expands the spectrum of mutations that can cause this disorder and demonstrate the importance of recognizing the role of neurological disorders in causing neurogenic bladder and recurrent urinary tract infections.
Project description:Urofacial syndrome (UFS) is an autosomal recessive congenital disease featuring grimacing and incomplete bladder emptying. Mutations of HPSE2, encoding heparanase 2, a heparanase 1 inhibitor, occur in UFS, but knowledge about the HPSE2 mutation spectrum is limited. Here, seven UFS kindreds with HPSE2 mutations are presented, including one with deleted asparagine 254, suggesting a role for this amino acid, which is conserved in vertebrate orthologs. HPSE2 mutations were absent in 23 non-neurogenic neurogenic bladder probands and, of 439 families with nonsyndromic vesicoureteric reflux, only one carried a putative pathogenic HPSE2 variant. Homozygous Hpse2 mutant mouse bladders contained urine more often than did wild-type organs, phenocopying human UFS. Pelvic ganglia neural cell bodies contained heparanase 1, heparanase 2, and leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains-2 (LRIG2), which is mutated in certain UFS families. In conclusion, heparanase 2 is an autonomic neural protein implicated in bladder emptying, but HPSE2 variants are uncommon in urinary diseases resembling UFS.
Project description:There are many causes of recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) which are amenable to surgical management. This usually follows a lengthy trial of conservative management. Aetiological classification of rUTI requiring surgical management may be divided into congenital or acquired. Predisposing factors are classified into two groups; those providing a source for organisms, or by maintaining favourable conditions for the proliferation of organisms. Sources of infections include calculi, fistulae or abscesses. Conditions which predispose to bacterial proliferation include malignancies, foreign bodies, high post void residuals, and neuropathic bladders. Removal of identified sources, treating the obstruction, and improving urinary drainage, are all goals of surgical management. Surgical options for rUTI management can range from minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopic or percutaneous, through to more invasive requiring laparoscopic or an open approach. Surgery remains a very important and viable solution.
Project description:The gene activity during human urinary bladder development is largely unknown. Our aim is to provide gene expression data to identify active genes during development and to facilitate future candidate gene identification for bladder malformations. Here, we make the first step to provide RNA-Seq of time-series bladder tissues between week 5 to 10. Fetal lung is used as reference sample.
Project description:Resident macrophages are highly abundant in the bladder, playing key roles in directing immunity to uropathogens. Yet, whether they are heterogeneous, where they come from, and precisely how they respond to infection remain largely unknown. We identified two macrophage subsets in mouse bladders with distinct localization, protein expression, and transcriptomes. Using a model of urinary tract infection, we validated our transcriptomics analyses finding that one macrophage subset phagocytosed more bacteria and polarized to a more anti-inflammatory profile, whereas the other subset died rapidly after infection. After resolution of infection, tissue-resident macrophage subsets were partially replaced by monocyte-derived cells with distinct transcriptional profiles. Elimination of these macrophages led to a type 1 biased immune response to challenge infection. Our study brings considerably more knowledge about the biology of bladder resident macrophages and their response to primary and recurrent infection, which may have broader implications for macrophage subsets in other mucosal tissues.