1 Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, The University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI.
2 Center for Statistical Consultation and Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
3 Division of Infectious Diseases, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.
Received for publication February 26, 2002; accepted for publication July 22, 2002.
![]() |
ABSTRACT |
---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|
disease transmission; Escherichia coli; sexual partners; urinary tract infections
Abbreviations: Abbreviations: cfu, colony-forming unit; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; PFGE, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; UTI, urinary tract infection.
![]() |
INTRODUCTION |
---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|
UTI occurs more frequently in women (17.5 percent incidence between ages 18 and 24 years) (3) than in men (0.5 percent incidence in the same age range) (4). The gender difference in the incidence of symptomatic infection is attributed in part to the shorter urethra of women and the proximity of the urethra to the anal opening and vaginal introitus (5). Although there are marked differences in disease incidence by gender, corresponding differences in gastrointestinal colonization rates are unlikely. E. coli are transmitted by the fecal-oral route and can be passed between persons via person-to-person direct contact or through a vehicle such as food or water. There has been some suggestion that uropathogens can be foodborne (6) and that UTI can be transmitted by direct person-to-person contact (7).
The incidence of symptomatic infection is associated with vaginal intercourse; spermicide, diaphragm, and condom use; and recentness of forming a relationship ("honeymoon cystitis") (811). One third of women have their first UTI by age 26 years, and cumulative incidence increases dramatically at the average age of initiating sexual activity (3).
We hypothesized that uropathogenic E. coli are transmitted between persons during sexual activity. Furthermore, because uropathogenic E. coli are probably better adapted to the urethra, periurethra, and vagina than are other E. coli, we reasoned that E. coli would be more likely to be shared between sex partners when the woman has UTI than in couples in whom the woman does not have UTI. To test this hypothesis, we compared co-colonization rates among couples in whom the woman did or did not have UTI and investigated behavioral and bacterial virulence factors for co-colonization. In addition, we examined predictors of carrying the identical E. coli in vaginal and rectal flora among female study participants.
![]() |
MATERIALS AND METHODS |
---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|
Study protocol
Women with UTI and women without UTI were recruited from those women visiting the University of Michigan Health Service in Ann Arbor, Michigan, during the academic year (SeptemberApril) beginning in fall 1996 through spring 1999. Women aged 1839 years were eligible if they had engaged in sexual activitydefined as vaginal, oral, or anal intercoursewith a male partner during the past 2 weeks, did not have diabetes, were not hospitalized or catheterized during the previous 2 weeks, and had not used antibiotics within the last 24 hours. Twenty-four hours without antibiotic therapy is sufficient for a uropathogen to grow in significant numbers in the urine. All women presenting to the Health Service Laboratory with urinary symptoms or for a throat culture were screened for eligibility and their willingness to participate in the study. Only one third of women presenting for a throat culture were eligible, primarily because they had not been sexually active in the previous 2 weeks or felt too ill to participate even if eligible. Therefore, during the last year of the study, we recruited from among women filling prescriptions at the Health Service Pharmacy to boost the number of uninfected women in the study. A full-time study recruiter interviewed all women for eligibility.
After giving their written consent to participate and have their medical records reviewed, eligible women collected a midstream urine specimen, a vaginal specimen (by using a tampon), and a rectal specimen by using a rayon swab. Studies by Onderdonk et al. (12) have demonstrated that vaginal cultures obtained by using tampons are comparable to those obtained from a vaginal swab. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including a detailed sexual history battery. They were then provided with a letter to give to their most recent male sex partner describing the study and inviting him to participate. As an incentive to participate, women and the participating sex partner were given monetary compensation.
To be eligible, men had to enroll within 7 days of their participating sex partner. After giving written consent to participate and have their medical records reviewed, they collected a random initial-void urine culture (10 ml) and a rectal specimen by using a rayon swab, and they completed a self-administered questionnaire. Without also testing a midstream urine culture, we could not rule out bladder involvement. However, bacteria isolates collected from a random initial void primarily reflect urethral flora; thus, in this paper we use the term "urethral" isolates. On the occasions in which partners were recruited together (women were not infrequently accompanied to the Health Service by their sex partner), they were seated in separate locations to ensure independent completion of the study questionnaire.
The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Michigan.
UTI definition
UTI was defined as a clinical diagnosis of UTI by a subjects treating physician, plus a urine culture positive for E. coli (>1,000 colony-forming units (cfu)/ml urine) in the presence of one or more urinary symptoms. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by reviewing medical records.
Recruitment
Between fall 1996 and spring 1999, we identified 1,069 women with urinary symptoms and 552 with sore throats who were eligible for enrollment. A total of 434 (41 percent) of the women with urinary symptoms and 121 (22 percent) of the women with sore throats consented to participate. Almost one fifth of the women with urinary symptoms (20 percent) and women with sore throats (18 percent) refused because they anticipated that their sex partner could not be recruited. Thirteen percent of women with urinary symptoms and 32 percent of women with sore throats refused for other reasons, primarily lack of time or feeling too ill. During fall 1998 through spring 1999, we also recruited women without UTI by using an advertisement given to women presenting to the pharmacy. Of the 129 eligible women responding to the advertisement, 95 (74 percent) consented to participate. A total of 272/434 (63 percent) of consenting women with urinary symptoms and 152/216 (70 percent) of consenting women without urinary symptoms successfully recruited their sex partner.
Inclusions/exclusions
Of the 434 consenting, eligible women with urinary symptoms, 73 (17 percent) were excluded because they did not meet the UTI case definition. An additional 47 (11 percent) were excluded because their rectal specimen or that of their sex partner contained no gram-negative bacteria. Among the 216 consenting women without UTI (121 with sore throats and 95 recruited from the advertisement), 10 (5 percent) were excluded because they did not meet enrollment criteria and 40 (19 percent) were excluded because their rectal specimen or that of their sex partner contained no gram-negative bacteria. Of the remaining 166 women, 94 recruited their sex partner. A total of 194 of the 434 consenting women with UTI who met the study criteria recruited their sex partner. Of these, 166 (86 percent) had UTI caused by E. coli, and their partner had E. coli in their rectal specimen. These 166 case couples and 94 control couples form the basis for the analyses presented in this paper.
Identification of bacteria
All urine specimens were inoculated, as described previously (7). Vaginal and rectal flora were isolated by inoculating tampons and rectal swabs onto Trypticase soy agar with 5 percent sheep blood and MacConkey agar. The predominant isolate on each plate and all morphologically distinct colonies were identified and were stored for further testing, as described by Plos et al. (13). Suspect gram-negative bacteria were identified by using the API-20E system (Biomerieux Vitek, Inc., Hazelwood, Missouri). All isolates were screened, by using the method of dot blot hybridization described previously (14), for the presence of 10 bacterial genes potentially associated with UTI: aerobactin (aer), group II capsule (kpsMT), group III capsule (capIII), cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (cnf1), hemolysin (hly), outer membrane protein T (ompT), P-pili family of fimbriae (pff), DR-binding adhesins (drb), S fimbrial adhesin (sfa), and type 1 pili (fim).
Strain typing
To determine whether women and their sex partners were colonized with the identical E. coli or whether women carried identical strains at different anatomic sites, we used PFGE. Purification, rare-cutter restriction, and gel electrophoresis of minimally sheared E. coli DNA were performed, as described previously (7). We considered isolates to be identical if they differed by no more than one band. If identity was questionable, the gels were repeated. All gels were read by two independent readers; one was blinded to the UTI status of the participating woman. We considered as uropathogens case couples rectal isolates that were genetically identical, as determined by PFGE, to the urinary isolate causing UTI.
Data analysis
The primary outcome of interest was the presence or absence of co-colonization (e.g., both sex partners carried the genetically identical E. coli, as determined by PFGE, in their bowel flora). The association between co-colonization and predictor variables was described by determining odds ratios and their 95 percent confidence intervals, and significance was tested by using chi-square statistics. To model the joint effects of variables on co-colonization, we fit a logistic regression model. Sexual behavior was reported by both partners; therefore, for partner analyses, if either partner reported engaging in a behavior, such as cunnilingus during the past 2 weeks, we considered both to have done so. The analysis was completed in two ways: 1) by using the couple as the unit of analysis and 2) by using the bacterial isolate as the unit of analysis. When the bacterial isolate was considered the unit of analysis, we included each unique isolate from the couple (co-colonizing isolates were included only once) and adjusted for clustering between isolates from the same couple by using generalized estimating equations (GEE).
![]() |
RESULTS |
---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|
|
|
The vaginal isolates matched the males rectal flora in 54/146 (37 percent) of the UTI couples and 8/26 (31 percent) of the non-UTI couples. Eight (5 percent) male sex partners of women with UTI and one (1 percent) male sex partner of a woman without UTI had a urine culture positive for E. coli. All eight urethral isolates from men with UTI partners were identical to the E. coli found in the urine and vagina of their sex partner (except for the one woman not vaginally colonized). The urethral isolate from the partner of a woman without UTI matched an isolate from the womans rectum. One male had more than 100,000 cfu/ml, although he was entirely asymptomatic; the others had less than 10,000 cfu/ml. Only two urethral isolates from partners of women with UTI matched an E. coli isolate from their own rectum. The urethral isolate from the partner of a woman without UTI did not match any isolates from his rectum.
Five men urethrally colonized with the same E. coli as that causing UTI in their sex partner returned for a second urine culture, and cultures for four were positive. Three carried the identical E. coli, as determined by PFGE, at both visits, which occurred 316 days later.
Co-colonization using the couple as the analysis unit
Comparison of co-colonization rates that include urinary isolates is biased because women with UTI by definition are colonized in the urinary tract. Thus, we excluded urinary isolates in our analysis of co-colonization and determined the number of couples that shared the genetically identical strain in their rectal flora (rectal-rectal co-colonization). This situation occurred among 36 percent of UTI couples compared with 25 percent of non-UTI couples (p = 0.07).
Rectal-rectal co-colonization rates were higher among UTI than non-UTI couples across the majority of characteristics measured; when they were not, the numbers were small (table 2). For both UTI and non-UTI couples, co-colonization rates did not vary by the UTI history of the woman, duration of the sexual partnership, or time since last engaging in sexual activity. However, both UTI and non-UTI couples engaging in cunnilingus had a greater odds of being co-colonized. Couples who reported using both condoms and spermicides had the lowest co-colonization rates. Most condom users also used spermicide, while few couples used spermicide alone.
|
|
All isolates had been screened previously by using dot blot hybridization for the presence of the genes encoding for 10 known uropathogenic virulence factors (14): aerobactin (aer), group II capsule (kpsMT), group III capsule (capIII), cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (cnf1), hemolysin (hly), outer membrane protein T (ompT), P-pili family of fimbriae (pff), DR-binding adhesins (drb), S fimbrial adhesin (sfa), and type 1 pili (fim). The bacterial genes hly and cnf1 are linked physically: cnf1 never occurs without hly, although the reverse is not true. To determine whether the individual virulence factors were associated with co-colonization, we conducted a bivariate analysis followed by a stepwise logistic regression model. We used both the backward and forward stepping methods including all virulence factors but fim, which was present on all isolates, and cnf1 because of its linkage with hly. Only P pili remained in the model, regardless of whether we used backward or forward stepping. Thus, we fit a final model (table 3, model 2) that included a marker for uropathogenicity, P pili, cunnilingus, and spermicide and condom use. Point estimates were similar to those from the crude analysis. However, we did observe a marginally statistically significant interaction between P pili and uropathogens. P pili had no effect (OR = 1.15, 95 percent CI: 0.57, 2.33) when present on a commensal isolate but were strongly associated with co-colonization when present on a uropathogen, suggesting a synergistic effect. The odds ratios for cunnilingus and for spermicide and condom use were similar to those observed in the couples analysis.
Vaginal-rectal co-colonization within a woman
Women with UTI were significantly more likely to be vaginally colonized with an E. coli identical to that found in their rectum (66 percent vs. 18 percent) (table 2). The frequency of carrying the same E. coli in the vagina and rectum decreased with time since last engaging in sexual activity. After our adjustment in a logistic regression model (table 3, model 3), women with UTI were 8.4 times (95 percent CI: 4.44, 15.95) more likely than women without UTI to have vaginal-rectal co-colonization with identical E. coli strains. The odds of vaginal-rectal co-colonization with the same organism decreased by 25 percent (OR = 0.75, 95 percent CI: 0.63, 0.89) with each day since vaginal intercourse.
![]() |
DISCUSSION |
---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|
The increased urethral colonization of males in UTI couples suggests that some of the transmission may have occurred through genital contact. Although the numbers were small, all eight urethral isolates from male sex partners of women with UTI were genetically identical to the E. coli found in their sex partners urine and/or vaginal flora, but only two matched an isolate from their own rectum. Thus, it is possible that E. coli might be transmitted during vaginal intercourse from the male urethra to a womans vagina and hence periurethral mucosa and subsequently ascend to the bladder. To do so, the inoculum must be sufficient to lead to colonization, and the male must carry it long enough to transmit the E. coli to another sex partner. Of the eight male sex partners of women with E. coli UTI who were urethrally colonized with E. coli, one had >100,000 cfu/ml. Three of the five males who returned for repeat cultures carried the identical E. coli, as determined by PFGE, at both visits, which occurred 316 days later. Persistent carriage or reinfection from the female to the male could not be differentiated. If the observed male urethral colonization represents persistent carriage, it is of sufficient duration that transmission to another sex partner might occur. Hence, intercourse could both transfer the pathogen and facilitate introduction of the uropathogen to the bladder. This observation is consistent with our previous follow-up study of women with a first UTI, in which condom use reduced the risk of reinfection with a new strain but not the same strain (15).
In our study, host behaviors as well as E. coli characteristics were important determinants of rectal-rectal co-colonization. Among both UTI and non-UTI couples, the incidence of rectal-rectal co-colonization was higher in couples engaging in cunnilingus. Using both condoms and spermicides decreased rectal-rectal co-colonization. This finding was true regardless of whether the couple or the isolate was used as the unit of analysis. Too few couples reported engaging in anal intercourse to enable any conclusions to be drawn. Condom use has been associated with increased risk of UTI (9, 16), but this effect may be due to trauma. Virtually all women who used spermicide did so with condoms; condom users alone had the same co-colonization rates as nonusers. Thus, the observed decrease in rectal-rectal co-colonization when both spermicide and condoms were used is probably attributable to spermicide use. Although spermicides are bacteriostatic, spermicides alone or in combination with a diaphragm increase vaginal colonization with E. coli (17). This is the first known report of an association of spermicide use with rectal-rectal co-colonization and therefore needs confirmation.
The adhesin P pili binds to glycolipids found on mucosal surfaces, including the urinary tract and bowel. The same qualities that make P pili important for ascending the urinary tract may enhance the ability of uropathogens to colonize the bowel flora. However, P pili are found in no more than half of all uropathogenic isolates. Thus, additional, yet unknown factors must be extant.
Our study has several limitations. First, our outcome was rectal-rectal colonization and not transmission. Because our study was cross-sectional, we could not prove that isolates were transmitted between couples, although the overall heterogeneity of PFGE patterns between couples compared with the homogeneity within couples suggests that transmission occurred. Prospective studies are required to address this point as well as the direction of transmission. Second, the response rate was somewhat lower than is desirable, probably reflecting the requirement that couples participate. Because one of the most common reasons for refusal was that the woman was hesitant to recruit her sex partner, we suspect that participation was biased toward more committed partnerships or partnerships in which the monetary incentive was more attractive. This possibility might have impacted the prevalence of the behaviors under study; for example, the variety or frequency of sexual behaviors might have been modified but should not have biased the association between these behaviors and co-colonization with the same E. coli.
![]() |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
---|
This study would never had been completed without the assistance and support of the University of Michigan Health Service, Caesar Briefer, Director, and Charlotte Williams and all laboratory staff. The authors appreciate the assistance of Bonnie Andree and Lexie Bopp in recruiting study participants, Katie Neighbors in managing the data, and Alison Freeman and Natasha Ghazi in performing many pulsed-field gels.
![]() |
NOTES |
---|
![]() |
REFERENCES |
---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|