Systematic Review of the Global Literature on Uncomplicated Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women: Underscoring Major Heterogeneity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the global literature database on uncomplicated recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI), this systematic review assesses the availability of rUTI data based on geographic region and elucidates the current state of research and gaps in knowledge. METHODS: The databases PubMed, Embase, WHO Global Index Medicus, and SciELO were searched for keywords related to rUTI between 2000 and 2023. Three independent reviewers screened studies restricted to female participants age ≥18 years with uncomplicated rUTIs. Studies were excluded if they did not provide a definition for rUTI or did not cite or report an estimate for rUTI prevalence. The review was registered in PROSPERO and conformed to PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: The search yielded 2947 studies of which 124 were ultimately included. Convenience samples were used for 91% of studies and sample sizes were 30% n <50, 29% n = 50-99, 22% n = 100-199, 36% n ≥200. Most studies were conducted in Europe (41%) or North America (39%), were prospective (52%), at tertiary centers (49%) and included all ages ≥18 (60%). The most common definition for rUTI was 2 UTI/6 m or 3 UTI/1y (62%). Regardless of study location, most studies cited prevalence estimates for rUTI derived from U.S.-based populations. CONCLUSION: This study represents the first formal investigation of the global literature base on uncomplicated rUTI. Studies on rUTIs are globally of small scale and definitions used for rUTI are heterogeneous. More studies are needed to ascertain the true prevalence of rUTI outside of North America and Europe.

Systematic Review of the Global Use of Validated Questionnaires in the Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women.

INTRODUCTION: Our goal was to systematically review the most commonly used validated questionnaires in recent global literature on stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treatment. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Ovid databases were queried for manuscripts containing "female stress urinary incontinence" AND "diagnosis" AND "treatment" AND "questionnaire." Two independent reviewers screened studies for randomized controlled trials, prospective, and retrospective studies between 2018 and 2023. Exclusion criteria included male participants, non-SUI incontinence, and articles not originally written in English. The review was registered in PROSPERO [465721] and conformed to PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: In 117 manuscripts meeting study criteria, the median of the mean ages was 52 years, with a median of 164 participants per study. Most studies originated in Europe (59/117). The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form was the most frequently used (52%), followed by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (31%), the Urinary Distress Inventory 6 Short Form (25%), the Incontinence Quality of Life (20%), and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (19%). These leading questionnaires were short, translated into several languages, and globally addressed important SUI-related domains, including the presence and severity of SUI, additional lower urinary tract symptoms, and the impact of SUI on quality of life, as well as changes perceived after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review of the validated questionnaires used in contemporary SUI management literature could help guide recommendations for incorporating these favored instruments into future SUI treatment outcome documents.

Development and Evaluation of an Immunoinformatics-Based Multi-Peptide Vaccine against Acinetobacter baumannii Infection.

Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen associated with hospital-acquired infections. Due to its environmental persistence, virulence, and limited treatment options, this organism causes both increased patient mortality and incurred healthcare costs. Thus, prophylactic vaccination could be ideal for intervention against MDR Acinetobacter infection in susceptible populations. In this study, we employed immunoinformatics to identify peptides containing both putative B- and T-cell epitopes from proteins associated with A. baumannii pathogenesis. A novel Acinetobacter Multi-Epitope Vaccine (AMEV2) was constructed using an A. baumannii thioredoxin A (TrxA) leading protein sequence followed by five identified peptide antigens. Antisera from A. baumannii infected mice demonstrated reactivity to rAMEV2, and subcutaneous immunization of mice with rAMEV2 produced high antibody titer against the construct as well as peptide components. Immunization results in increased frequency of IL-4-secreting splenocytes indicative of a Th2 response. AMEV2-immunized mice were protected against intranasal challenge with a hypervirulent strain of A. baumannii and demonstrated reduced bacterial burden at 48 h. In contrast, all mock vaccinated mice succumbed to infection within 3 days. Results presented here provide insight into the effectiveness of immunoinformatic-based vaccine design and its potential as an effective strategy to combat the rise of MDR pathogens.