Effects of Microbiological and Immunological Factors on the Lower Urinary Tract
Millions of patients of all ages suffer worldwide from diverse urinary pathologies, such as lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction, bladder pain syndrome, urinary tract infections (UTIs), or bladder cancer. The research project investigates the interplay between the bladder and the microbiome. The goal is to evaluate the association of microbiological and immunological factors with lower urinary tract health in humans.
• Women and men aged ≥ 18 years old
• Able to give informed consent for participation in the study
• Willing to adhere to the study protocol for the whole trial period
• Willing to undergo repetitive in-and-out single catheterization Specific inclusion criteria for the different study arms Arm I: Healthy controls Arm II: Asymptomatic bacteriuria in subjects not requiring assisted bladder emptying Arm III: Asymptomatic bacteriuria in subjects relying on some type of catheter for bladder emptying Arm IV: Acute non-catheter associated UTIs Arm V: Recurrent non-catheter associated UTIs Arm VI: Acute catheter-associated UTI Arm VII: Recurrent catheter-associated UTI Arm VIII: Chronic pelvic pain Arm IX: Non-neurogenic overactive bladder syndrome Arm X: Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer