Evidence Hub

Prospective Cohort Study of Microbial and Inflammatory Events Immediately Preceding Escherichia coli Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection in Women

C. Czaja, W. Stamm, A. Stapleton, P. L. Roberts, T. Hawn, D. Scholes, M. Samadpour, S. J. Hultgren et al.

Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2009

29 participants · 127 citations

Abstract

Background A prospective cohort study was conducted to characterize the temporal sequence of microbial and inflammatory events immediately preceding Escherichia coli recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI). Methods Women with acute cystitis and a history of UTI within the previous year self-collected periurethral and urine samples daily and recorded measurements of urine leukocyte esterase, symptoms, and sexual intercourse daily for 3 months. rUTI strains were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and genomic virulence profiling. Urinary cytokine levels were measured. Results There were 38 E. coli rUTIs in 29 of 104 women. The prevalence of periurethral rUTI strain carriage increased from 46% to 90% during the 14 days immediately preceding rUTI, with similar increases in same-strain bacteriuria (from 7% to 69%), leukocyte esterase (from 31% to 64%), and symptoms (from 3% to 43%), most notably 2–3 days before rUTI (P < .05 for all comparisons). Intercourse with periurethral carriage of the rUTI strain also increased before rUTI (P = .008). Recurrent UTIs preceded by bacteriuria, pyuria, and symptoms were caused by strains less likely to have P fimbriae than other rUTI strains (P = .002). Conclusions Among women with frequent rUTIs, the prevalences of periurethral rUTI strain carriage, bacteriuria, pyuria, and intercourse dramatically increase over the days preceding rUTI. A better understanding of the pathogenesis of rUTI will lead to better prevention strategies.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 29 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free