Additional assessment of Acute Cystitis Symptom Score questionnaire for patient-reported outcome measure in female patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis: part II

Assessing the influence of recurrent urinary tract infections on sexual function: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) significantly impact quality of life and can also lead to changes in sexual function.

AIM

This study aims to assess the symptoms associated with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) and their influence on both quality of life and sexual activity.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted, involving 383 patients with rUTIs and 161 healthy controls. The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaires were utilized, with all surveys completed online through Google Forms.

OUTCOMES

The ACSS and FSFI were collected using online surveys designed through Google Forms.

RESULTS

A higher prevalence of constipation was observed in the rUTI group compared to controls (37.6% vs 31.7%). rUTIs caused moderate to severe interference with work activities in 55.5% of cases, while 59% reported interference with social life. Sexual life assessment revealed that all FSFI domains were significantly affected in patients with rUTIs. Sexual desire was rated as low or very low in 61.9% of rUTI cases compared to 48.1% of controls (P < .001). Additionally, 35.3% of rUTI patients reported low or very low confidence in becoming sexually aroused, compared to 7.5% of controls (P < .001). Difficulty reaching orgasm was reported by 29.6% of rUTI patients versus 20.7% of controls (P < .001). Pain or discomfort following vaginal penetration was reported more than half the time by 43.9% of rUTI patients, compared to 19.6% of controls (P < .001). Dissatisfaction with sexual intercourse was noted in 53.6% of rUTI patients versus 15.8% of controls (P < .001).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The assessment of sexual health should be integrated into the management of patients with rUTIs. Interventions targeting UTI management must also address strategies to improve sexual function and satisfaction.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This study provides insight into the impact of rUTIs on sexual function across both pre- and post-menopausal women, allowing for an evaluation of how sexual perceptions evolve with age. However, the study's limitations include the lack of assessment of sexual practices, which may influence the risk of rUTIs and affect FSFI results.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with rUTIs report significantly lower sexual satisfaction and higher rates of sexual dysfunction. It is essential to evaluate the sexual function of patients with rUTIs, and management strategies must consider ways to improve sexual health as part of the overall treatment plan.

Efficacy of a pharmacist care protocol to manage uncomplicated female cystitis in community pharmacies: an open-label, multicenter, randomized, controlled, cluster study: the PharmaCyst' protocol

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infections are common affections, especially for women. Difficult access to a general practitioner to obtain a prescription has led France to offer dispensing under protocol by community pharmacists. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a pharmacist care protocol provided to manage women with urinary tract infection symptoms. This objective will be assessed using the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score.

METHODS

PharmaCyst' is an open-label, multicenter, controlled, cluster-randomized study conducted in the Loire region, France. Women aged between 18 and 65 years presenting to a pharmacy complaining of at least one symptom of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection present over the last 3 days (including burning pain during micturition, dysuria, pollakiuria, urgent urination) will be considered for inclusion. All patients will be contacted on day 3, 10, and month 3. A total of 480 patients need to be recruited for the 24 clusters participating in the research. The quantitative data will be described using means and standard deviations and compared using Student's t-test. The qualitative data will be described using numbers and percentages and compared using chi2 test (or Fisher's exact test if necessary). The primary and secondary outcomes analyses will consider the intention-to-treat population.

DISCUSSION

PharmaCyst' is the first clinical trial conducted in France only by community pharmacists. Its results could lead to an extension of the protocol.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The protocol has been approved by the French ethics committee on 2022/12/02 and is registered under the number 49RC22_0240 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Therapeutic strategies for uncomplicated cystitis in women

Uncomplicated cystitis is affecting many women of all ages and has a great impact on the quality of life, especially in women suffering from recurrent, uncomplicated cystitis. By far the most frequent uropathogen, E. coli, may have acquired increasing resistance against a variety of oral antibiotics, which may differ between countries and regions. Therefore, local resistance data are important to be considered. On the other hand, non-antibiotic therapy has also become an option which should be discussed and offered to the patient. In patients suffering from recurrent uncomplicated cystitis, individual risk factors and possible behavioral changes should first be taken into account. Non-antimicrobial prophylactic strategies shown to be successful in well-designed clinical studies are the next options. Long term antibiotic prophylaxis, however, should only be considered as a last option. For some of those patients self-diagnosis and self-treatment may be suitable, e.g. by using a recognized questionnaire.

[Therapy of cystitis with nitroxoline-NitroxWin : Prospective, multicenter, non-interventional study and microbiological resistance surveillance]

BACKGROUND

According to German AWMF S3 guideline nitroxoline is recommended as one of the first-choice antibiotics for treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis (UC) in women. Under real-world conditions the clinical efficacy of nitroxoline should be checked in a noninterventional, prospective and multicenter study (NIS) and the prevalence of nitroxoline resistance in E. coli be monitored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Female patients with UC treated with nitroxoline (recommended dosage 250 mg tid for 5 days) were included by urologists, general practitioners (GPs), and internists in family medicine throughout Germany from April-December 2022 and followed for 21-28 days. The diagnosis and course of therapy were judged by the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) questionnaire and laboratory investigations (leukocyturia etc). Separately, a nationwide resistance surveillance was performed during 2019-2020 in collaboration with 23 laboratories to collect urinary E. coli isolates and test their susceptibility to nitroxoline.

RESULTS

Of the 316 patients with mean (SD) age of 57.2 (±20.4 [median 62.5]) years who were included in the NIS, 193/248 (86.3%) in the per-protocol group and in 193/263 (81.44%) in the intention-to-treat group were clinically successful. Furthermore, 96% of the patients rated the tolerability of nitroxoline as "very good" or "good". All 272 E. coli isolates tested were susceptible to nitroxoline.

CONCLUSIONS

Nitroxoline showed very good clinical results in the NIS, and 100% of the tested E. coli urine isolates were susceptible to nitroxoline. Nitroxoline can still be recommended as one of the first-choice antibiotics for treatment of UC in women.

Linguistic and Clinical Validation of the Tajik Acute Cystitis Symptom Score for Diagnosis and Patient-Reported Outcome in Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis

Background and Objectives: Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) is a self-reporting questionnaire for clinical diagnosis and follow-up of acute uncomplicated cystitis (AC) in women. The ACSS, originally developed in Uzbek and Russian, both considered original languages, is now available in several other languages. This study aimed to translate and validate the ACSS in the Tajik language. Material and Methods: Linguistic validation was carried out according to the Linguistic Validation Manual for Patient-Reported Outcomes Instruments guidelines. Clinical validation was performed by enrolling fifty-four Tajik-speaking women. All women included in this study were first interviewed about the understandability of all questions and statements in the final Tajik ACSS and were asked to fill in form A at the first visit (diagnostics) and form B at any follow-up visit (patient-reported outcome). Results: Thirty-three women, median (range) age of 35 (18-77), were diagnosed with AC (patient group), while twenty-one women, median (range) age of 34 (20-61) (p = 0.109), were enrolled as the control group without any other urological disease. For the diagnostics of AC, a summary score of the six typical symptoms ("Typical" domain) showed the best balance between sensitivity (0.73) and specificity (0.71) at 5 and above. Cronbach's alpha [95% CI] and split-half reliability [95%] were 0.82 [0.76; 0.98] and 0.84 [0.77; 0.87], respectively. At the follow-up visit, the patients reported a significant reduction in the "Typical" domain and an improvement in the "Quality of Life" domain. Conclusion: The Tajik ACSS showed good reliability and diagnostic values and may be used as a reliable tool for the diagnosis and patient-reported outcome in women with AC in clinical and epidemiological studies and for daily practice.

Polish version of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score for patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis

Introduction

The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) is a self-reporting questionnaire to evaluate the symptoms and quality of life in women with uncomplicated acute cystitis (AC). The aim of the current study was the additional cognitive and clinical validation of the Polish version.

Material and methods

Professional forward and backward translations from original Russian to Polish were performed by Mapi SAS. For cognitive assessment, women with different ages and educational levels were asked to comment on each item of the Polish ACSS to establish the final study version. The clinical validation was performed as a prospective, non-interventional cohort study. Women with AC (Patients) and those without (Controls) filled in the Polish ACSS during their visits to a physician's office and at a follow-up visit. Statistical analysis included ordinary descriptive values, calculation of reliability, validity, discriminative ability, responsiveness (sensitivity, specificity), and comparative analysis.

Results

The cognitive assessment was performed in 60 women with a median (range) age of 44.5 (21-88) years and different educational levels: grade school (n = 8), high school (n = 25), college (n = 22), and postgraduate education (n = 5). Forty-three patients were recruited for the clinical validation study along with 34 controls. Statistical analyses resulted in excellent values of internal consistency, discriminative ability, and validity for diagnosis of AC. At a summary score of 6 and higher in the ´Typical´ domain, positive and negative predictive values were 97% and 79%, and sensitivity and specificity were 79% and 97%, respectively.

Conclusions

The Polish version of the ACSS has demonstrated benefits for diagnosis and patient-reported outcome assessment. It is objective, fast, and cost-effective, and it may help to easily confirm the accurate diagnosis of AC. The Polish ASCSS can now be recommended for use in clinical and epidemiological studies, in clinical practice, or for self-diagnosis and patient-reported outcome in women with symptoms of AC.

Patient-reported outcome measures for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women: a systematic review

PURPOSE

To conduct a systematic review of the quality of existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for use in women with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) applying the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology, and to derive recommendations for their use in future research.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and Web of Science. Studies reporting on the development and/or validation of any PROMs for uncomplicated UTIs in women were considered eligible. We evaluated the methodological quality of each included study using the COSMIN Risk of Bias Checklist, and further applied predefined criteria for good measurement properties. Finally, we graded the evidence and derived recommendations for the use of the included PROMs.

RESULTS

Data from 23 studies reporting on six PROMs were included. From those, the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) and the Urinary Tract Infection-Symptom and Impairment Questionnaire (UTI-SIQ-8) can be recommended for further use. Both instruments showed sufficient content validity. We further found high-quality evidence for sufficient internal consistency of the UTI-SIQ-8, while this criterion was not assessed for the ACSS due to a formative measurement model. All other PROMs have the potential to be recommended for use, but require further validation.

CONCLUSION

The ACSS and the UTI-SIQ-8 have the potential to be recommended for use in women with uncomplicated UTIs in future clinical trials. For all included PROMs, further validation studies are indicated.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO.

Validation of the Spanish Acute Cystitis Symptoms Score (ACSS) in native Spanish-speaking women of Europe and Latin America

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) is a patient self-reporting questionnaire for clinical diagnostics and patient-reported outcome (PRO), which may assess the symptoms and the effect on the quality of life in women with acute cystitis (AC). The current study aimed to create a validated Spanish version of the ACSS questionnaire.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The process of linguistic validation of the Spanish version of the ACSS consisted of the independent forward and backward translations, revision and reconciliation, and cognitive assessment. Clinical evaluation of the study version of the ACSS was carried out in clinics in Spain and Latin America. Statistical tests included the calculation of Cronbach's α, split-half reliability, specificity, sensitivity, diagnostic odds ratio, positive and negative likelihood ratio, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC).

RESULTS

The study was performed on 132 patients [age (mean;SD) 45.0;17.8 years] with AC and 55 controls (44.5;12.2 years). Cronbach's α of the ACSS was 0.86, and the split-half reliability was 0.82. The summary scores of the ACSS domains were significantly higher in patients than in controls, 16.0 and 2.0 (p < 0.001), respectively. The predefined cut-off point of ≥6 for a summary score of the "Typical" domain resulted in a specificity of 83.6% and a sensitivity of 99.2% for the Spanish version of the ACSS. AUC was 0.91 [0.85; 0.97].

CONCLUSIONS

The validated Spanish ACSS questionnaire evaluates the symptoms and clinical outcomes of patients with AC. It can be used as a patient's self-diagnosis of AC, as a PRO measure tool, and help to rule out other pathologies in patients with voiding syndrome.

eaberry in the treatment of acute uncoplcated cystitis (BRUMI): protocol of a multicentre, randomised double-blind clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) leaf is available as a treatment of uncomplicated cystitis in several European countries. The antimicrobial activity of its extracts and some of its individual constituents has been observed in vitro; however, the efficacy of bearberry compared with standard antimicrobial therapy has not been assessed yet.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to assess the safety and non-inferiority of bearberry as an alternative therapy in the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis in comparison with standard antibiotic therapy (fosfomycin).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a randomised controlled double-blinded multicentre trial. Eligible patients will be premenopausal women with a sum score of ≥6 for the typical acute uncomplicated cystitis symptoms (frequency, urgency, painful urination, incomplete emptying, suprapubic pain and visible haematuria) reported on the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) typical domain and pyuria. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive 3 g single dose of fosfomycin powder and two placebo tablets three times a day for 7 days or B a single dose of placebo powder and two tablets containing a dry extract of Uvae ursi folium. At least 504 patients (allocated as 1:1) will need to be enrolled to access non-inferiority with a non-inferiority limit of 14% for the primary endpoint.Improvement of symptoms of uncomplicated cystitis (based on the ACSS score) at day 7 is defined as the primary endpoint, whereas several secondary endpoints such as the number and ratio of patients with bacteriuria at day 7, frequency and severity of side effects; recurrence of urinary tract infection, concurrent use of other over the counter (OTC) medications and food supplements will be determined to elucidate more detailed differences between the groups. The number of recurrences and medications taken for treatment will be monitored for a follow-up period of 90 days (80-100 days).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has been approved by the Scientific and Research Ethics Committee of the Hungarian Medical Research Council (IV/4225-1/2021/EKU). The results will be disseminated by publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05055544.

Psychosocial burden of recurrent uncomplicated urinary tract infections

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a leading cause of bacterial infections in women. Despite acute treatment, 30-50% of women who have a UTI will experience a recurrence within 6-12 months. In this review, the focus will be on the personal psychosocial impacts of recurrent UTI. Methods: A PubMed/MEDLINE literature search was carried out from 2000 to 2020 in order to identify any recent high-quality meta-analyses or systematic reviews on these topics. Results: One systematic review was found appropriate for this manuscript. Concerning impact on quality of life (QoL) and daily activities, a reduced quality of both intimate and social relationships, self-esteem, and capacity for work was found due to recurrent UTI. Social function was substantially more reduced than physical function. In one study, the greatest reduction overall was in mental role functioning, whereas in another study, mental health reductions were not substantially greater than those of physical health. About one third of women suffered from UTI very often or often after sexual intercourse, and more than half of the patients stated that sexual relations were negatively influenced by UTI. Data from the GESPRIT study suggest that prophylaxis for recurrent UTI is underutilized, because less than 40% of the study population were offered prophylaxis after experiencing three UTI per year, despite all surveyed participants being willing to undertake at least one of the prophylactic measures listed in the survey. Conclusions: Little data on the psychosocial impact of recurrent UTI are available. Therefore, future studies must also incorporate QoL assessments as key outcome measures.

Why D-Mannose May Be as Efficient as Antibiotics in the Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Lower Urinary Tract Infections—Preliminary Considerations and Conclusions from a Non-Interventional Study

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very frequent in women and can be caused by a range of pathogens. High recurrence rates and increasing antibiotic resistance of uropathogens make UTIs a severe public health problem. d-mannose is a monosaccharide that can inhibit bacterial adhesion to the urothelium after oral intake. Several clinical studies have shown the efficacy of d-mannose in the prevention of recurrent UTIs; these also provided limited evidence for the efficacy of d-mannose in acute therapy. A recent prospective, non-interventional study in female patients with acute cystitis reported good success rates for treatment with d-mannose. Here, we present data from a post hoc analysis of this study to compare the cure rate of d-mannose monotherapy with that of antibiotics. The results show that d-mannose is a promising alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of acute uncomplicated UTIs in women.

Diagnosis of acute cystitis in primary care: symptom-based versus urinalysis-based diagnosis

Aim:

This study aimed to provide insight into the congruity of acute cystitis (AC) diagnosis in women, measured both by the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) questionnaire and urine test(s).

Background:

The ACSS questionnaire was developed as a self-administering tool for assessing urinary symptoms, quality of life (QoL) and treatment outcomes in healthy, nonpregnant female patients.

Methods:

This prospective observational cohort study compared AC diagnosis based on the questionnaire with a GP diagnosis based on dipstick/dipslide test(s). ACSS questionnaire form A (typical and differential symptoms, QoL and relevant conditions) was filled in by the patient group, women suspected for AC visiting a GP practice with a urine sample, and the reference group, women visiting a community pharmacy for any medication. Analyses were performed assuming that the GP diagnosis based on urine test(s) was correct. Divergent result(s) of urine test(s) and ACSS questionnaire were analysed for scores of all individual questionnaire domains. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and the positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) of the ACSS questionnaire and the urine test(s).

Findings:

In the patient group, 59 women were included, 38 of whom a GP positively diagnosed for AC. The reference group included 70 women. The PPV of the ACSS questionnaire was 77.3%, and the NPV was 73.3%. Analysis of patient data for divergent results showed that differential symptoms, QoL and relevant conditions explained false-positive and false-negative results. Revised results (most probable diagnosis) based on this analysis showed a PPV and NPV of 88.6% and 73.3% for the ACSS questionnaire and 100% and 76.2% for the urine test(s). For use in primary care, a reduction in false-positive and false-negative results can be achieved by including scores for differential symptoms, QoL and relevant conditions, alongside a total typical symptoms score of 6 or higher.

Linguistic validation and cognitive assessment of the French version of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score questionnaire

INTRODUCTION

The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) questionnaire first developed in Russian and Uzbek languages and now available in many other languages can be used for clinical diagnostics and patient-reported outcome (PRO) in female patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC). The aim of the current study was the linguistic validation and cognitive assessment of the French version of the ACSS questionnaire according to internationally accepted guidelines.

METHODS

After two forward translations from Russian into the French language and backward translation into Russian and Uzbek, the two original languages, the scientific committee (SC) performed a slightly adapted French version, which finally was cognitively assessed by female subjects with different ages and educational levels and medical professionals, such as nurses, physicians, and pharmacists.

RESULTS

All comments of the female subjects and professionals were discussed within the SC and after slight, but necessary adaptations, the SC agreed on the final study version of the French ACSS.

CONCLUSION

Now, the linguistically validated and cognitively assessed French version of the ACSS can be used for clinical studies and practice.

Clinical Validation of the Greek Version of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS)-Part II

The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) is a patient self-reporting questionnaire for the clinical diagnosis and patient-reported outcome (PRO) in women with acute uncomplicated cystitis (AC). The aim of the current study (part II) is the clinical validation of the Greek ACSS questionnaire. After linguistic validation according to internationally accepted guidelines and cognitive assessment (part I), the clinical validation was performed by using the Greek ACSS study version in 92 evaluable female participants including 53 patients with symptoms suspicious of AC and 39 controls. The clinical outcome using the ACSS questionnaire at different points in time after the start of treatment was demonstrated as well. The age (mean ± SD) of the 53 patients (44.7 ± 17.0 years) and 39 controls (49.3 ± 15.9 years) and their additional conditions at baseline visits, such as menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, menopause, diabetes mellitus, were comparable. There was, however, a significant difference (p < 0.001) between patients and controls at baseline visit regarding sum score of the ACSS domains, such as typical symptoms and quality of life. The clinical outcome of up to 7 days showed a fast reduction of the symptom scores and improvement of quality of life. The optimal thresholds for the patient-reported outcome of successful therapy could be established. The linguistically and clinically validated Greek ACSS questionnaire can now be used for clinical or epidemiological studies and also for patients' self-diagnosis of AC and as a PRO measure tool.

Linguistic and clinical validation of the acute cystitis symptom score in German-speaking Swiss women with acute cystitis

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

The Global Prevalence Study of Infections in Urinary tract in Community Setting (GPIU.COM) includes epidemiological aspects of acute cystitis (AC) in women in Germany and Switzerland. The primary study relates to the German version of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS), a self-reporting questionnaire for self-diagnosis and monitoring the symptomatic course of AC in women. The current study aimed to analyze the validity and reliability of the German ACSS in German-speaking female patients with AC in Switzerland.

METHODS

Anonymized patient data were collected and analyzed from women with AC at the first visit (diagnosis) and follow-up visits as baseline and controls, respectively. Data from 97 patients with a median age of 41 years underwent analysis. Psychometric and diagnostic characteristics of the ACSS were measured and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Average internal consistency of the ACSS resulted in a Cronbach's alpha (95% CI) of 0.86 (0.83; 0.89) and did not differ significantly between the Swiss and German cohorts. Diagnostic values of the ACSS for the Swiss cohort were relatively lower than for the German cohort, possible due to discrepancies between definitions of UTI in national guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis showed that the German version of the ACSS is also suitable for use in the German-speaking female population of Switzerland. Minor differences in definitions of AC between German and Swiss guidelines explain the observed discrepancies in diagnostic values of the ACSS between cohorts.

Acute Cystitis Symptom Score questionnaire for measuring patient-reported outcomes in women with acute uncomplicated cystitis: Clinical validation as part of a phase III trial comparing antibiotic and nonantibiotic therapy

PURPOSE

The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) used in a clinical trial comparing the phytodrug Canephron®N (BNO 1045) with an antibacterial agent (fosfomycin trometamol [FT]) in the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis (AC) in women was evaluated as a patient-reported outcome measure in a post hoc analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This double-blind, randomized, multicenter, phase III noninferiority trial was performed in 51 centers in Europe. The ACSS questionnaire was used to assess severity and course of symptoms.

RESULTS

The post hoc analysis included 325 patients treated with BNO 1045 and 332 patients treated with FT (total of 657 patients). The mean sum-scores of the ACSS-typical domain were comparable between groups on day 1 (BNO 1045: 10.2; FT: 10.1), and then decreased on day 4 (BNO 1045: 5.1; FT: 4.5), at end of treatment on day 8 (BNO 1045: 2.1; FT: 2.1), and at late follow-up on day 38 (BNO 1045: 0.8; FT: 0.9). Predefined thresholds using the scoring system of the ACSS could be established and validated to define "clinical cure."

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluating not only antibacterial but also nonantibacterial agents indicated for the treatment of AC in women, clinical criteria for diagnostics, and measures of patient-reported outcomes are more important as main objectives than microbiological criteria. In this post hoc evaluation, we showed that the ACSS questionnaire, validated in several languages, has the potential to be used as a suitable instrument for diagnostics and patient-reported outcomes in well-designed, international, clinical studies investigating different treatment modalities of uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

Validation of the American English Acute Cystitis Symptom Score

The diagnosis of acute uncomplicated cystitis (UC) is usually based on clinical symptoms. The study aims to develop and validate the American-English Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS), a self-reporting questionnaire for diagnosis and patient-reported outcome in women with acute uncomplicated cystitis (UC). After certified translation into American-English and cognitive assessment, the clinical validation of the ACSS was performed embedded in a US phase-II trial. 167 female patients with typical symptoms of UC were included in the study following US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. At Day 1 (diagnosis), the mean (SD) sum score of the six ACSS typical symptoms reached 10.60 (2.51). Of 100 patients followed-up last time on Day 5 or 6 (End-of-treatment, EoT), 91 patients showed clinical success according to the favored ACSS criteria (sum score of typical symptoms 0.98 (1.94)). There was no correlation between the severity of symptoms on Day 1 or between clinical success rate at EoT and level of bacteriuria on Day 1. The American-English ACSS showed high predictive ability and responsiveness and excellent levels of reliability and validity. It can now be recommended as the new master version in clinical and epidemiological studies, in clinical practice, or for self-diagnosis of women with symptoms of UC.

Biomarkers in urinary tract infections - which ones are suitable for diagnostics and follow-up?

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections worldwide. Under special circumstances, clinicians must rely on laboratory findings, which might have a weak predicting value, misguiding the practitioners and leading to incorrect diagnosis and overuse of antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for reliable biomarkers in UTIs. Methods: We performed a literature search for biomarkers used in UTIs from January 1999 until May 2020. We used "urinary tract infection" and "biomarker" as the main key words in the PubMed, Medline and Cochrane databases. After peer review, we excluded the duplicates and identified the suitable articles, from which we collected the data and divided the available biomarkers into 5 groups: i) conventional markers; ii) promising, thoroughly studied biomarkers; iii) promising biomarkers that need further studies; iv) biomarkers of unknown significance; v) controversial, not useful markers. Results: We found 131 articles, mostly from the paediatric population. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and interleukins (IL) have a leading role in diagnosing and differentiating UTIs based on a lot of observational, comparative trials. Heparin Binding Protein (HBP), Lactoferrin (LF), Heat-Shock Protein-70 (HSP-70), Human Defensin-5 (HD-5), Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein (LBP) and mass spectrometry studies are promising, but confirming data are lacking. The measurable components of the innate immune system and local host cell response could be appropriate biomarkers, but their significance is currently unknown. Conclusions: Conventional biomarkers for UTIs have low specificity. The use of urinary NGAL and interleukins could improve the sensitivity and specificity of laboratory diagnosis of UTIs.

Health-Related Quality of Life as Measured by the 12-Item Short-Form Survey Among Adults With Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia who Received Either Lefamulin or Moxifloxacin in 2 Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Clinical Trials

Background

Interest in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) as part of benefit–risk assessment for new drug approvals is increasing. Lefamulin is the first intravenous (IV) and oral pleuromutilin antibiotic for treatment of adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was prospectively incorporated in its CABP trials (Lefamulin Evaluation Against Pneumonia [LEAP] 1 and 2) via the 12-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-12), a widely used PRO that measures general health status in 8 domains.

Methods

HRQoL was evaluated by SF-12 at baseline and test of cure (TOC; 5–10 days after the last study drug dose) in patients who received lefamulin or moxifloxacin in LEAP 1 (IV/oral treatment) and LEAP 2 (oral-only treatment). SF-12 outcomes included the 8 domains, physical component and mental component summary scores, and the Short-Form Six-Dimension health utility score.

Results

Analysis included 1215 patients (lefamulin: n = 607; moxifloxacin: n = 608). At baseline, all mean SF-12 scores in both treatment groups were well below the United States reference mean. Clinically meaningful and significant improvements from baseline to TOC were observed in all SF-12 scores. No significant differences in mean score improvements from baseline to TOC between treatment groups were observed. SF-12 score improvements at TOC across predefined subgroups were comparable between treatment groups.

Conclusions

Results indicate that adults with CABP experienced comparable HRQoL improvements with lefamulin relative to moxifloxacin, and treatment with either agent resulted in returns to population norm HRQoL levels. These data suggest that lefamulin is a potential alternative to moxifloxacin for treatment of adults with CABP.

Effect of a Herbal Therapy on Clinical Symptoms of Acute Lower Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in Women: Secondary Analysis from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Antibiotics are commonly used as first-line treatment for acute lower uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs). However, antimicrobial resistance is a growing global problem and efficacious nonantibiotic treatment options are urgently needed. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted with data from a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial comparing a fixed combination of extracts of restharrow root, Java tea, and goldenrod herb (Aqualibra^®) to placebo in 200 women with acute lower uUTI. Symptom scores reported in the original trial were reanalyzed and adjusted to the definitions of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS). Results: Based on a subgroup of patients with evaluable microbiologic data (n = 122), the decrease of the mean sum-score of three typical ACSS-adjusted symptoms showed significant superiority of the herbal preparation over placebo already after one day of treatment (p = 0.0086); on Day 7, the average difference was −1.9 score points (p < 0.0001). The superior efficacy of the herbal preparation on Day 1 was mainly driven by a difference in response rates of the symptom ‘dysuria’ (group difference: −29.4%, p = 0.0042). Furthermore, significantly fewer patients in the verum group required antibiotic therapy (15.3% vs. 49.2%, p = 0.0001). These results were confirmed in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (n = 200). Conclusions: A fixed combination of extracts of restharrow root, Java tea, and goldenrod herb was superior to placebo regarding symptom relief and prevention of antibiotic use in women with lower uUTI. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04032574.