Comparison of Urobiome and Urine pH in Women with or without Overactive Bladder Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the urobiome and urine pH in women with and without overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.

METHODS

We conducted a case-control study with 23 patients having OAB symptoms and 23 without OAB, based on overactive bladder symptom score questionnaires. Midstream urine samples were analyzed for pH and underwent 16S rDNA gene sequencing to identify the urobiome using diversity. Differential abundance analysis identified urobiome taxa associated with OAB symptoms.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients with OAB and those without OAB was comparable (63.60 ± 9.27 vs 62.26 ± 9.14, p = 0.62). There were no statistically significant differences in body mass index, parity, and menopausal status. Mean urine pH was also comparable (6.23 ± 1.04 vs. 6.17 ± 0.95, p = 0.84), though a higher percentage of OAB patients had acidic urine (73.91% vs. 65.22%, p = 0.53). While the overall urobiome showed no significant differences between groups, Corynebacterium spp. and Rothia spp. were more abundant in OAB patients.

CONCLUSION

Patients with overactive bladder had a higher abundance of certain urobiome bacteria but similar urine pH compared to those without symptoms.