Age, menopausal status and the bladder microbiome.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Urology
• Gynecology

Background:

• The bladder harbors a complex microbiome, distinct from sterile environments.
• Alterations in the bladder microbiome are linked to conditions like overactive bladder.
• Microbiome composition in other body sites, such as the vagina, is known to change with age and menopausal status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related variations in the healthy female bladder microbiome.
• To determine if menopausal status influences the composition of the bladder microbiome.

Main Methods:

• Urine samples were collected from 79 healthy women without urinary symptoms.
• Bacterial cultures were grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
• Microbial identification was performed using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) for genus-level classification.

Main Results:

• No significant correlation was found between women's age and the diversity of identified bacterial genera.
• Few significant differences in organism frequency were observed between pre- and post-menopausal women.
• Lactobacillus was significantly more common in pre-menopausal women (31% vs 3%), and Mobiluncus was more common in post-menopausal women (0% vs 3%).

Conclusions:

• Patient age did not significantly correlate with bladder microbiome diversity in healthy women.
• Significant differences in specific bacterial genera were noted based on menopausal status.
• Lactobacillus prevalence decreased, while Mobiluncus prevalence increased, after menopause.