Study finds various bacteria in urine of patients with kidney disease

The urine of patients with kidney disease contains bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, according to a study by researchers at Loyola Medicine and Loyola University Chicago. The study by corresponding author Michael J. Zilliox, PhD, and first author Holly Kramer, MD, MPH, and colleagues is published in International Urology and Nephrology.

According to a press release from Loyola University Health System, bacteria diversity generally was higher among kidney patients who also experienced urinary urgency. These findings could lead to new approaches to treating lower urinary tract problems, such as urinary urgency and incontinence.

Researchers examined the urine of 41 women and 36 men who had stage 3 to stage 5 kidney disease but were not on dialysis. Patients were age 60 years or older and had less than 60% of kidney function, with an average of 27% of function. Researchers also found that 69% of men and 70% of women had diabetes; 42% of the men and 51% of the women had urinary urgency; and 78% of the men and 51% of the women had nocturia.

The study found 19 types of bacteria in the urine samples, and few samples were overwhelmingly dominated by a single genus. Other bacteria found in kidney patients’ urine included Corynebacterium, Lactobacillus, Gardnerella, Prevotella, Escherichia/Shigella and Enterobacteriaceae. The findings are consistent with other research showing microbiome diversity may influence a person’s health.

Reference: