Recent investigation has proven that the bladder is not sterile. However, the implications of this finding in the pathophysiology and management of urothelial cell carcinoma have not been fully described.
In this review, we summarize the literature relating to the urinary and gastrointestinal microbiomes in the context of urothelial cell carcinoma. The bladder microbiome may relate to urothelial cell carcinoma pathogenesis/progression, act as a non-invasive and modifiable urinary biomarker and have implications in treatment using immunotherapy agents such as intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin. Investigators should continue to optimize techniques to characterize this intriguing new area of human health.
Urology. 2019 Jan 04 [Epub ahead of print]
Petar Bajic, Alan J Wolfe, Gopal N Gupta
Department of Urology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL USA. Electronic address: ., Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL USA. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL USA. Electronic address: .
PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30615894
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