Effect of Stress Urinary Incontinence on Vaginal Microbiota Stability

Abstract

Abstract Background Stress urinary incontinence and vaginal microbial dysbiosis frequently occur in postpartum women. A better understanding of the relationship between SUI and the composition of vaginal microbiota may help to prevent the emergence of vaginal diseases. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate the potential association between vaginal microbial dysbiosis and stress urinary incontinence. Results The present study revealed a strong correlation between changes in the composition of vaginal microbiota and stress urinary incontinence, with stress urinary incontinence being more likely to lead to dysbiosis of vaginal microbiota. In terms of the vaginal microbiota, both alpha diversity and evenness were significantly higher in the stress urinary incontinence group compared to the group without stress urinary incontinence. Additionally, there were notable differences in the composition of the vaginal microbiota between two groups. Specifically, among stress urinary incontinence patients, the abundance of bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis, such as Streptococcus, Prevotella, Dialister, and Veillonella, showed an increase, while the abundance of Lactobacillus decreased. Furthermore, the vaginal microbial co-occurrence network of stress urinary incontinence patients displayed higher connectivity, complexity, and clustering. Conclusions As a result, our study emphasizes the significant role of Lactobacillus in maintaining homeostasis within the vaginal microbial community. A correlation between stress urinary incontinence and the vaginal microbiota was observed, indicating an increased risk of vaginal microbial disorders and bacterial vaginosis for individuals with stress urinary incontinence. Consequently, we anticipate that our findings will contribute novel insights into the prevention of bacterial vaginal diseases associated with stress urinary incontinence.