A CANADIAN study has unveiled that the microbiome of multiple locations in the body is linked with the formation of kidney stones. Jeremy Burton, Lawson Scientist and Research Chair of Human Microbiome and Probiotics at St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Ontario, Canada, highlighted the importance of this work: “Kidney stone disease has been rising in recent years, affecting roughly 10% of people. While previous research has shown a connection between the gut microbiome and kidney stones in those who have taken antibiotics, we also wanted to explore the connection to other microbiomes in the hopes we can advance understanding and potential treatments.”
The study cohort was comprised of patients with formed kidney stones, without antibiotic exposure in the last 90 days, and with planned surgical removal of the stones. Kait Al, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, London, Ontario, Canada, and lead author, outlined: “Our testing, called shotgun metagenomic sequencing, allowed us to discover which bacteria were present in the gut and the genetic capabilities of those bacteria, or how it functions.” This research showed that those with kidney stones had been exposed to more antimicrobials, as they exhibited antibiotic-resistant genes. Al explained: “The microbes form a kind of network that’s stable and beneficial in healthy people, but in those with kidney stones, that network is broken down. They’re not producing the same vitamins and useful metabolites, not just in the gut but also in the urinary tract and oral cavity.” Burton added: “We found not only that those who got kidney stones had an unhealthy microbiome, including a gut microbiome that was more likely to excrete toxins to the kidneys, but also that they were antibiotic resistant.”
Further research is warranted in this area, but initial findings suggest that the health of a person’s microbiome is integral to avoiding kidney stones, and that a microbiome friendly diet alongside minimal antibiotic use will present part of the solution to this issue.
