Evaluating the relationship between E. coli infections and inflammatory markers in bladder cancer patients

Background: Bladder cancer is a common disease worldwide and is associated with high mortality rates. Urinary tract infections are caused by the presence of microbial pathogens in the urethra or bladder. Escherichia coli is one of the most common causes of this disease. Aim: This study aims to investigate the occurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among bladder cancer patients and to assess the related inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) in serum. By linking these cytokine levels between bladder cancer patients with UTIs contain bacteria E coli, those without UTIs, and healthy controls. Methods: 100 urine and blood specimens were obtained from bladder cancer patients, collected from the Oncology Center in Najaf Governorate, during the duration from Jun 2024 to December 2024, ages 45 to 75 years, and divided into two groups (One group consists of 55 samples from bladder cancer patients with chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), while another group includes 45 samples from bladder cancer patients without UTI). In addition, 30 urine and blood specimens were obtained from a Healthy person as a control group. The urine samples were then processed to identify and culture bacteria. All samples were immediately inoculated onto MacConkey agar, blood agar, and eosin methylene blue agar plates. While blood samples were centrifuged to separate the serum, the levels of cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, were assessed using commercially available ELISA kits from (Elabscience, USA). Results: In the study, 100 urine samples from bladder cancer patients were analyzed, revealing that 55 (55%) showed positive bacterial growth, while 45 (45%) were negative. Among the positive samples, 25 (45.4%) indicated the presence of E coli on MacConkey, blood, and EMB agar, with confirmation through microscopic examination and the Vitek system. The results also showed that 25 (25%) of the E. coli-infected patients have UTI had elevated levels of IL-6 at 1.21 ± 0.373 and IL-8 at 1.37 ± 0.347, with statistically significant p-values (0.00002 for IL-6 and 0.00001 for IL-8). Conclusion: No significant differences were found in IL-6 and IL-8 levels between bladder cancer patients without UTI and the control group, indicating that the elevated cytokine levels are specifically associated with E. coli infections.