Endometriosis and UTI: Inflammation, Infection and the Uterine Microbiome | Christine Metz, PhD, with Live UTI Free (LUF)

Painful urination and pain during sex can signal endometriosis or a urinary tract infection, and the two are often mistaken for one another. In this episode of the LUF Podcast, host Melissa Kramer, PhD, speaks with Christine Metz, PhD, a professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health and co-director of the ROSE (Research OutSmarts Endometriosis) study.

Dr. Metz explains how menstrual effluent, which she calls a “natural biopsy,” is revealing new signs of chronic inflammation, immune imbalance, and “zombie” senescent cells in endometriosis. They also discuss the uterine microbiome, chronic endometritis, early research on quercetin, possible biological links between endometriosis and recurrent UTIs, and progress toward a non-invasive endometriosis test. People in the US can join the ROSE study online. Find more UTI and pelvic health research at liveutifree.com.

Christine N. Metz, PhD, is a professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She holds BS and MS degrees from Cornell University and MS and PhD degrees in Immunology/Pathology from New York University.

Key Takeaways

1. Endometriosis and UTI may be connected. Overlapping symptoms, bladder lesions, and chronic inflammation may leave people with endometriosis “more vulnerable to infections,” Dr. Metz explains.
2. Your uterus has a microbiome too. Chronic endometritis, a rarely diagnosed inflammation of the uterine lining, may be linked to a two to three-fold higher risk of endometriosis.
3. Menstrual blood could replace surgery for diagnosis. Dr. Metz hopes a non-invasive test could be available “in the next couple of years.”

Links and Resources

• Dr. Metz's work at the Feinstein Institutes, Northwell Health
• Live UTI Free