Vaginal Microbiome in Pregnant Women with and without Short Cervix

Study information

Needs review

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

Edit History Delete

Mark reviewed

Your review change was submittedDuplicate this Experiment Add a new Signature

Needs review

Curated date: 2024/04/06

Curator: Ayibatari

Revision editor(s): Ayibatari

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 a short cervix

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: Wald 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: 2.00

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: increased

Signature 1

Edit History Delete

Mark reviewed

Your review change was submitted

Needs review

Curated date: 2024/04/06

Curator: Ayibatari

Revision editor(s): Ayibatari

Source: Figure 2 A.

Description: Significant bacterial features among groups with different cervix length. (a) Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showing the significant taxonomic features between short cervix length and control groups at different taxonomic levels. Linear Discriminant Analysis scores (LDA score) are reported on x-axis (LDA threshold > 2) while taxa at different taxonomy levels are reported on y-axis.

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in Short Cervix Length

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

Revision editor(s): Ayibatari