Nephro Flash Vol-8, No-2, 2022

Maintenance of optimal intestinal homeostasis is critical for good health. In the last few decades, a lot has been studied on the effect of altered gut microbiome, offering us unprecedented insights into its complex association with different disorders in children and adults. Gut dysbiosis, as this altered gut microbiome is commonly referred to, can be a consequence of a wide range of causes including infections, drugs, toxins, and diet, and can lead to the development of both intestinal and extraintestinal disorders. Among extraintestinal diseases, gut dysbiosis is proposed as a pathophysiological mechanism in the development of metabolic disorders (type 2 diabetes and obesity), cardiovascular (CV) disorders, cognition impairment, autism spectrum disorders, and autoimmune disorders. More recently, evidence suggesting a connection between disruption of the normal gut microbiota and development of kidney disorders has emerged, providing proof for the existence of a “gut-kidney axis” concept. Association of gut dysbiosis with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been proposed with considerable evidence available supporting their coexistence, and more recently its possible association with development and deterioration of acute kidney injury (AKI) has also been speculated. These findings have paved the way for evaluation of treatment options that aim to improve renal functions by restoring dysbiosis, including preand probiotics and their combination therapy (synbiotics).

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections, accounting for millions of visits in clinics and emergency departments each year, and eventually resulting in thousands of hospitalizations. Furthermore, a gender predilection is frequently seen in these visits, with the overall number of office visits for UTIs being twice as common among the women of all ages as compared with the men. A wide spectrum of clinical scenarios may be seen in cases with UTI, ranging from asymptomatic bacteriuria at one end to sepsis associated with UTI requiring hospitalization at the other end.