Association of the vaginal microbiota with human papillomavirus infection in a Korean twin cohort

Study information

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Fatima Zohra on 2021/02/09

study design

cross-sectional observational, not case-control

Citation

PMID PubMed identifier for scientific articles.

23717441

DOI Digital object identifier for electronic documents.

10.1371/journal.pone.0063514

URI

Authors

Lee JE, Lee S, Lee H, Song YM, Lee K, Han MJ, Sung J, Ko G

Journal

PloS one

Year

2013

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important causative agent of cervical cancers worldwide. However, our understanding of how the vaginal microbiota might be associated with HPV infection is limited. In addition, the influence of human genetic and physiological factors on the vaginal microbiota is unclear. Studies on twins and their families provide the ideal settings to investigate the complicated nature of human microbiota. This study investigated the vaginal microbiota of 68 HPV-infected or uninfected female twins and their families using 454-pyrosequencing analysis targeting the variable region (V2-V3) of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Analysis of the vaginal microbiota from both premenopausal women and HPV-discordant twins indicated that HPV-positive women had significantly higher microbial diversity with a lower proportion of Lactobacillus spp. than HPV-negative women. Fusobacteria, including Sneathia spp., were identified as a possible microbiological marker associated with HPV infection. The vaginal microbiotas of twin pairs were significantly more similar to each other than to those from unrelated individuals. In addition, there were marked significant differences from those of their mother, possibly due to differences in menopausal status. Postmenopausal women had a lower proportion of Lactobacillus spp. and a significantly higher microbiota diversity. This study indicated that HPV infection was associated with the composition of the vaginal microbiota, which is influenced by multiple host factors such as genetics and menopause. The potential biological markers identified in this study could provide insight into HPV pathogenesis and may represent biological targets for diagnostics.

Experiment 1

Edit History Delete

Flag for review

Your review change was submittedDuplicate this Experiment Add a new Signature

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Fatima Zohra on 2021/02/09

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: WikiWorks

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, ChiomaBlessing

Subjects

Location of subjects: South Korea

Host species Species from which microbiome was sampled. Contact us to have more species added.: Homo sapiens

Body site Anatomical site where microbial samples were extracted from according to the Uber Anatomy Ontology: Uterine cervixUterine cervix

Condition The experimental condition / phenotype studied according to the Experimental Factor Ontology

Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies: HPV-

Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies: HPV+

Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group: HPV infection through PCR confirmation

Group 0 sample size Number of subjects in the control (unexposed) group: 9

Group 1 sample size Number of subjects in the case (exposed) group: 9

Antibiotics exclusion Number of days without antibiotics usage (if applicable) and other antibiotics-related criteria used to exclude participants (if any): 6 months

Lab analysis

Sequencing type: 16S

16S variable region One or more hypervariable region(s) of the bacterial 16S gene: V2-V3

Sequencing platform Manufacturer and experimental platform used for quantifying microbial abundance: Roche454

Statistical Analysis

Data transformation Data transformation applied to microbial abundance measurements prior to differential abundance testing (if any).: relative abundances

Statistical test: LEfSe

Significance threshold p-value or FDR threshold used for differential abundance testing (if any): 0.05

MHT correction Have statistical tests be corrected for multiple hypothesis testing (MHT)?: No

Signature 1

Edit History Delete

Mark reviewed

Your review change was submitted

Needs review

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: Cynthia Anderson

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, Atrayees, Merit

Source: figure 3

Description: A comparison of the vaginal microbiota among nine HPV infection-discordant twin pairs

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in HPV+

NCBI	Quality Control	Links
Dialister
Fusobacteriaceae
Fusobacteriales
Fusobacteriota
Megasphaera
Sneathia
Sneathia sp.
Fusobacterium

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, Atrayees, Merit

Signature 2

Edit History Delete

Mark reviewed

Your review change was submitted

Needs review

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: Cynthia Anderson

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, Merit

Source: figure 3

Description: A comparison of the vaginal microbiota among nine HPV infection-discordant twin pairs

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in HPV+

NCBI	Quality Control	Links
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillales
unclassified Lactobacillaceae

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, Merit

Experiment 2

Edit History Delete

Flag for review

Your review change was submittedDuplicate this Experiment Add a new Signature

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Fatima Zohra on 2021/02/09

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: WikiWorks

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, ChiomaBlessing

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group: HPV+ through PCR confirmation

Group 0 sample size Number of subjects in the control (unexposed) group: 26

Group 1 sample size Number of subjects in the case (exposed) group: 19

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Signature 1

Edit History Delete

Mark reviewed

Your review change was submitted

Needs review

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: Cynthia Anderson

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks

Source: figure 1b

Description: Comparison of the vaginal microbiotas of the HIV+ and HIV- women without CIN

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in HPV+

NCBI	Quality Control	Links
Sneathia
Fusobacteriaceae
Fusobacteriales

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks

Experiment 3

Edit History Delete

Flag for review

Your review change was submittedDuplicate this Experiment Add a new Signature

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Fatima Zohra on 2021/02/09

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: WikiWorks

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, Victoria

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies: HR-HPV+

Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group: HR-HPV+ through PCR confirmation, HPV genotype 16, 18, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 66