Vaginal Microbiome in Pregnant Women with and without Short Cervix

Study information

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Svetlana up on 2024-6-12

study design

case-control

Citation

PMID PubMed identifier for scientific articles.

37432374

DOI Digital object identifier for electronic documents.

10.3390/nu15092173

URI

Authors

Silvano A, Meriggi N, Renzi S, Seravalli V, Torcia MG, Cavalieri D, Di Tommaso M

Journal

Nutrients

Year

2023

Keywords:

Gardenerella vaginalis, Lactobacillus, aerobic vaginitis, microbiome, risk in pregnancy, shortened cervix

Cervical shortening is a recognised risk factor for pre-term birth. The vaginal microbiome plays an essential role in pregnancy and in maternal and foetal outcomes. We studied the vaginal microbiome in 68 women with singleton gestation and a cervical length ≤25 mm and in 29 pregnant women with a cervix >25 mm in the second or early third trimester. Illumina protocol 16S Metagenomic Sequencing Library Preparation was used to detail amplified 16SrRNA gene. Statistical analyses were performed in R environment. Firmicutes was the phylum most represented in all pregnant women. The mean relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota was higher in women with a short cervix. Bacterial abundance was higher in women with a normal length cervix compared to the group of women with a short cervix. Nonetheless, a significant enrichment in bacterial taxa poorly represented in vaginal microbiome was observed in the group of women with a short cervix. Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas, taxa usually found in aerobic vaginitis, were more common in women with a short cervix compared with the control group, while Lactobacillus iners and Bifidobacterium were associated with a normal cervical length. Lactobacillus jensenii and Gardenerella vaginalis were associated with a short cervix.

Experiment 1

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Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Svetlana up on 2024-6-12

Curated date: 2024/04/06

Curator: Ayibatari

Revision editor(s): Ayibatari, Scholastica

Subjects

Location of subjects: Italy

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: Vagina Vagina,vagina,Distal oviductal region,Distal portion of oviduct,Vaginae

Condition The experimental condition / phenotype studied according to the Experimental Factor Ontology: Cervix erosion cervix erosion,Erosion of cervix,erosion of cervix,Erosion of cervix (disorder),Uterine Cervical Erosion,Cervix erosion

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

Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies: Short Cervix Length

Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group: Pregnant women of predominantly Caucasian ethnicity with singleton gestation and a cervical length ≤ 25 mm in their second or early third trimester (23–32 weeks’ gestation)

Group 0 sample size Number of subjects in the control (unexposed) group: 29

Group 1 sample size Number of subjects in the case (exposed) group: 68

Antibiotics exclusion Number of days without antibiotics usage (if applicable) and other antibiotics-related criteria used to exclude participants (if any): At the time of recruitment

Lab analysis

Sequencing type: 16S

16S variable region One or more hypervariable region(s) of the bacterial 16S gene: V3-V4

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

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)?: Yes

LDA Score above Threshold for the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score for studies using the popular LEfSe tool: 2

Alpha Diversity

Shannon Estimator of species richness and species evenness: more weight on species richness: unchanged

Simpson Estimator of species richness and species evenness: more weight on species evenness: unchanged

Richness Number of species: decreased

Signature 1

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Curated date: 2024/04/06

Curator: Ayibatari

Revision editor(s): Ayibatari, Scholastica

Source: Figure 2a

Description: Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showing the significant taxonomic features in short cervix length versus control groups at different taxonomic levels

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in Short Cervix Length

NCBI	Quality Control	Links
Alphaproteobacteria
Brevundimonas
Caulobacteraceae
Caulobacterales
Corynebacteriaceae
Gammaproteobacteria
Lysobacteraceae
Lysobacterales
Mycobacteriales
Pseudomonadaceae
Pseudomonadales
Pseudomonadota
Pseudomonas
Pseudoxanthomonas
Staphylococcaceae
Staphylococcus
Tabrizicola
staphylococcalesstaphylococcales

Revision editor(s): Ayibatari, Scholastica

Signature 2

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Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Svetlana up on 2024-6-12

Curated date: 2024/06/12

Curator: Scholastica

Revision editor(s): Scholastica

Source: Figure 2a

Description: Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showing the significant taxonomic features in short cervix length versus control groups at different taxonomic levels

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in Short Cervix Length

NCBI	Quality Control	Links
Paracoccaceae
Rhodobacterales
Actinomycetales
Actinomycetaceae
Clostridia
Paracoccus
Porphyromonas
Porphyromonadaceae
Micrococcales
Mobiluncus

Revision editor(s): Scholastica