Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, affecting millions annually and posing a significant global health concern. Traditional therapies for UTIs are becoming increasingly ineffective due to rising drug resistance and their tendency to disrupt the host's healthy microbiota, leading to further side effects. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop alternative therapeutic agents that differ from conventional regimens and have fewer or no side effects. In this context, microbiome therapeutics offer a promising solution, given their demonstrated efficacy against various infectious diseases. Advances in scientific technology, particularly next-generation sequencing, have deepened our understanding of urinary microbiome dynamics, revealing a complex interplay within the urobiome that influences the onset and progression of UTIs. Uropathogenic bacteria do not solely cause UTIs; shifts in the composition of the urinary microbiome and interactions within the microbial community, known as host-microbiota interactions, also play a significant role. Although recent studies underscore the potential of targeting the urinary microbiome to manage UTIs and related complications, this field is still emerging and faces numerous regulatory and technical challenges. Further in-depth and comprehensive research is required to advance this pioneering concept into clinical practice.
Seung-Kwon Choi, Koo Han Yoo, Jeong Woo Lee, Seung Il Jung, Eu Chang Hwang, Joongwon Choi, Woong Bin Kim, Jung Sik Huh, Jin Bong Choi, Yeonjoo Kim, Jae Min Chung, Ju-Hyun Shin, Jae Hung Jung, Hong Chung, Sangrak Bae, Tae-Hyoung Kim
Urogenit Tract Infect 2021;16(2):49-54. Published online August 31, 2021
Purpose: This study examined the characteristics, current treatment trends, and outcomes of patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) in Korea. Materials andMethods: Two hundred and seventeen patients diagnosed with EPN were evaluated using abdominal computed tomography in 2011-2021 at 15 institutes in Korea. The patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. The total study period was divided arbitrarily into groups A (2011-2014), B (2015-2017), and C (2018-2021) to analyze the trends in the EPN treatment. Results: The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years; there were more female patients (74.2%) than male patients. The overall mortality rate was 10.6%. Ninety-five (43.8%), 98 (45.2%), and 24 (11.0%) patients were treated with medical, minimally invasive, and surgical management, respectively; the corresponding mortality rates were 13.7%, 6.1%, and 16.7%. There was no significant change in the proportion of patients treated with medical management over time (group A=46.5%, group B=47.0%, and group C=38.8%). The proportion of patients treated with minimally invasive management gradually increased over time (group A=35.2%; group B=43.9%; group C=55.0%), while those who underwent surgical management decreased gradually over time (group A=18.3%, group B=9.1%, and group C=6.3%). No differences in mortality rates were observed between the groups. Conclusions: EPN with medical and minimally invasive management had a relatively high treatment success rate, which increased gradually, while surgical management decreased gradually over time in Korea. The mortality rate was relatively lower than that reported in studies published before the 2010s.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common condition that significantly affects the quality of life. On the other hand, urologists find it challenging to treat this disorder effectively. To date, the Urinary, Psychosocial, Organ-Specific, Infection, Neurological/Systemic, and Tenderness (UPOINT) system is the only classification tool that can improve the treatment outcomes significantly compared to monotherapy. This review focused on the most recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of CP/CPPS.
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