The local microbiome after pediatric bladder augmentation: intestinal segments and the native urinary bladder host similar mucosal microbiota

Summary Introduction Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have provided novel insights into the microbiome of the urinary bladder (UB). In children after bladder augmentation using either ileum (ileocystoplasty, ICP) or colon (colocystoplasty, CCP), the fate of the mucosal microbiome introduced into the urinary tract remains unknown. Objective The aim was to compare the mucosal microbiome of the native UB vs the augmented intestinal segment (IS) using NGS. Study design Twelve children after bladder augmentation (ICP n  = 6, CCP n  = 6) were included. Biopsies were taken during routine postoperative cystoscopy from the native UB and the IS. Specimens underwent whole-genome DNA extraction, 16S rRNA gene amplification, NGS, and Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) data analysis. Downstream statistical data analyses were performed in Calypso. Results Patients' median age at the time of surgery was 11 years (6–17 years), and the median interval between augmentation and sampling was 7 years (4–13 years). α-Diversity (Shannon diversity index) was not significantly different between IS vs UB, ICP vs CCP, and male vs female. No general differences in the overall bacterial pattern (β-diversity) were found between IS, UB, ICP, and CCP groups. The groups overlapped in principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis (Figure). Age at sampling had a statistically significant influence on β-diversity at the genus level. Corynebacterium , Pseudoxanthomonas , Lactobacillus , Flavobacterium , and Micrococcus were the most dominating taxa detected over all samples. There was an obvious dominance of the genus Corynebacterium in the samples taken from the UB and IS in both ICP and CCP patients. Limitations of this study include the relatively small number of patients. Conclusion After bladder augmentation, the native UB and augmented ISs (ICP and CCP) host similar microbiota despite their distinct differences of originating mucosal anatomy. Download high-res image (233KB) Download full-size image Summary Figure . On OTU Level, the IS and UB sample groups overlap in both ICP and CCP classification in PCoA (left panel) and NMDS (right panel).