Bacterial Genomic Sequencing in Overactive Bladder

No one really knows what causes overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). Urinary tract infection (UTI)causes similar symptoms to OAB with the difference being the presence of bacteria, as evidenced by routine microbiology cultures. Recent work by the group on the genitourinary microbiome (GUM) has shown that female urine, even in the absence of culture evidence of bacteria does have evidence of bacterial DNA. Bacterial 16S rRNA can be isolated from urine and sequenced to identify bacterial species present in urine. From this the investigators can hypothesize that urinary bacteria contribute to urinary symptoms and that there is a difference in the bacterial communities in the urine of women who respond to Solifenacin, a drug used to treat OAB, versus those that do not.