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Cancers May 2024Both cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection at different anogenital sites, but the...
High-Risk Genotypes of Human Papillomavirus at Diverse Anogenital Sites among Chinese Women: Infection Features and Potential Correlation with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia.
BACKGROUND
Both cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection at different anogenital sites, but the infection features of high-risk (HR) HPVs at these sites and their association with cervical lesions have not been well characterized. Given the limitation of cervical HPV 16/18 test in screening patients with high-grade CIN (CIN 2+), studies on whether non-16/18 HR-HPV subtype(s) have potential as additional indicator(s) to improve CIN 2+ screening are needed.
METHODS
The infection of 15 HR-HPVs in vulva, anus, vagina, and cervix of 499 Chinese women was analyzed, and CIN lesion-associated HR-HPV subtypes were revealed.
RESULTS
In addition to the well-known cervical-cancer-associated HPV 16, 52, and 58, HPV 51, 53, and 56 were also identified as high-frequency detected subtypes prevalently and consistently present at the anogenital sites studied, preferentially in multi-infection patterns. HPV 16, 52, 58, 56, and 53 were the top five prevalent subtypes in patients with CIN 2+. In addition, we found that cervical HPV 33/35/52/53/56/58 co-testing with HPV 16/18 might improve CIN 2+ screening performance.
CONCLUSION
This study provided a new insight into HR-HPV screening strategy based on different subtype combinations, which might be used in risk stratification clinically.
PubMed: 38893229
DOI: 10.3390/cancers16112107 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine May 2024The realization of the role of the microbiome of the female reproductive tract in health and disease has opened numerous possibilities for the scientific examination of... (Review)
Review
The realization of the role of the microbiome of the female reproductive tract in health and disease has opened numerous possibilities for the scientific examination of the intertwining role between the human host and its microbiota. The imbalance in the composition of the microbial communities of the vagina and uterus is now recognized as a risk factor for many complications in pregnancy and according to the data from numerous studies, it is possible for this imbalance to play a crucial role in creating a hostile endometrial environment, and therefore, contributing to the etiology of recurrent implantation failure. Nevertheless, our current understanding of these complicated biological phenomena is far from complete, and in the future, there needs to be a systematic and thorough investigation of the diagnosis and therapy of this condition. This will enable scientists who engage in the field of assisted reproduction technologies to accurately identify and cure women in whom dysbiosis hinders the achievement of a healthy pregnancy.
PubMed: 38892884
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113173 -
Nutrients Jun 2024Vaginally administered postbiotics derived from were recently demonstrated to be effective in alleviating bacterial vaginosis and increasing pregnancy rates. However,...
Vaginally administered postbiotics derived from were recently demonstrated to be effective in alleviating bacterial vaginosis and increasing pregnancy rates. However, their potential effect on sperm quality has not been well investigated. This controlled in vitro study aimed to assess the dose- and time-dependent effects of postbiotics derived from PB01 (DSM 14870) on sperm quality parameters. The experiment was conducted in vitro to eliminate potential confounding factors from the female reproductive tract and vaginal microbiota. Sperm samples from 18 healthy donors were subjected to analysis using Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) in various concentrations of postbiotics and control mediums at baseline, 60 min, and 90 min of incubation. Results indicated that lower postbiotic concentration (PB5) did not adversely affect sperm motility, kinematic parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation, and normal morphology at any time. However, concentrations exceeding 15% demonstrated a reduction in progressively motile sperm and a negative correlation with non-progressively motile sperm at all time points. These findings underscore the importance of balancing postbiotic dosage to preserve sperm motility while realizing the postbiotics' vaginal health benefits. Further research is warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms and refine practical applications in reproductive health.
Topics: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; Humans; Male; Spermatozoa; Sperm Motility; Adult; Probiotics; Prospective Studies; Female; DNA Fragmentation; Semen Analysis; Vagina; Young Adult
PubMed: 38892713
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111781 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Recent studies have revealed the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections on the cervicovaginal microbiome; however, few have explored the utility of... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Recent studies have revealed the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections on the cervicovaginal microbiome; however, few have explored the utility of self-collected specimens (SCS) for microbiome detection, obtained using standardised methods for HPV testing. Here, we present a proof-of-concept analysis utilising Oxford Nanopore sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in paired samples collected either by the patient using an Evalyn Brush or collected by a physician using liquid-based cytology (LBC). We found no significant differences in the α-diversity estimates between the SCS and LBC samples. Similarly, when analysing β-diversity, we observed a close grouping of paired samples, indicating that both collection methods detected the same microbiome features. The identification of genera and species in each sample allowed for their classification into community state types (CSTs). Notably, paired samples had the same CST, while HPV-positive and -negative samples belonged to distinct CSTs. As previously described in other studies, HPV-positive samples exhibited heightened bacterial diversity, reduced abundance, and an increase in genera like or . Altogether, this study showed comparable results between the SCS and LBC samples, underscoring the potential of self-sampling for analysing the microbiome composition in cervicovaginal samples initially collected for HPV testing in the context of cervical cancer screening.
Topics: Humans; Female; Microbiota; Vagina; Papillomavirus Infections; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Cervix Uteri; Specimen Handling; Adult; Proof of Concept Study; Papillomaviridae; Bacteria; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38891924
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115736 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses a group of disorders that negatively affect the quality of women's lives. These include pelvic organ prolapse (POP), urinary...
Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses a group of disorders that negatively affect the quality of women's lives. These include pelvic organ prolapse (POP), urinary incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. The greatest risk factors for prolapse are increased parity and older age, with the largest group requiring surgical intervention being post-menopausal women over 65. Prolapse recurrence rates following surgery were reported to be as high as 30%. This may be attributed to ineffective healing in the elderly. Autologous stem cell transplantation during surgery may improve surgical results. In our previous studies, we showed that the transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from young donor rats improved the healing of full-thickness vaginal surgical incision in the vaginal wall of old rats, demonstrated by both histological and functional analysis. In order to translate these results into the clinical reality of autologous MSC transplantation in elderly women, we sought to study whether stem cells derived from old donor animals would provide the same effect. In this study, we demonstrate that MSC transplantation attenuated the inflammatory response, increased angiogenesis, and exhibited a time-dependent impact on MMP9 localization. Most importantly, transplantation improved the restoration of the biomechanical properties of the vagina, resulting in stronger healed vaginal tissue. These results may pave the way for further translational studies focusing on the potential clinical autologous adjuvant transplantation of MSCs for POP repair for the improvement of surgical outcomes.
Topics: Animals; Female; Vagina; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Rats; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Wound Healing; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Pelvic Organ Prolapse; Biomechanical Phenomena; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
PubMed: 38891914
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115714 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Jun 2024The vaginal microbiome is an immune defense against reproductive diseases and can serve as an important biomarker for cervical cancer. However, the intrinsic...
The vaginal microbiome is an immune defense against reproductive diseases and can serve as an important biomarker for cervical cancer. However, the intrinsic relationship between the recurrence and the vaginal microbiome in patients with cervical cancer before and after concurrent chemoradiotherapy is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed 125 vaginal microbial profiles from a patient cohort of stage IB-IVB cervical cancer using 16S metagenomic sequencing and deciphered the microbial composition and functional characteristics of the recurrent and non-recurrent both before and after chemoradiotherapy. We demonstrated that the abundance of beneficial bacteria and stability of the microbial community in the vagina decreased in the recurrence group, implying the unique characteristics of the vaginal microbiome for recurrent cervical cancer. Moreover, using machine learning, we identified Lactobacillus iners as the most important biomarker, combined with age and other biomarkers (such as Ndongobacter massiliensis, Corynebacterium pyruviciproducens ATCC BAA-1742, and Prevotella buccalis), and could predict cancer recurrence phenotype before chemoradiotherapy. This study prospectively employed rigorous bioinformatics analysis and highlights the critical role of vaginal microbiota in post-treatment cervical cancer recurrence, identifying promising biomarkers with prognostic significance in the context of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer. The role of L. iners in determining chemoradiation resistance in cervical cancer warrants further detailed investigation. Our results expand our understanding of cervical cancer recurrence and help develop better strategies for prognosis prediction and personalized therapy.
Topics: Humans; Female; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vagina; Chemoradiotherapy; Lactobacillus; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Middle Aged; Microbiota; Adult; Aged; Machine Learning
PubMed: 38886729
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05332-2 -
American Journal of Translational... 2024To investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and the effects on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infections in the vagina...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and the effects on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infections in the vagina of perinatal women.
METHODS
From June 2020 to October 2022, 270 perinatal pregnant women underwent vaginal swabs for GAS culture. The antibiotic sensitivity of the positive strains was assessed. Based on GAS detection results, the patients were divided into an observation group (GAS positive) and a control group (GAS negative). Clinical data from both groups were collected to compare the vaginal microecological changes. The adverse outcomes for pregnancy and infants in both groups were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the risk factors for adverse outcomes.
RESULTS
Among the 270 pregnant women, 30 tested positive for GAS and 240 tested negative, with a colonization rate of 11.1%. No resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, linezolid, vancomycin, or tigecycline was found among the GAS strains. The resistance rates to tetracycline and clindamycin were 73.3% and 70.0%, respectively. Higher vaginal pH (≥4.5), and increased incidences of bacterial vaginitis, aerobic vaginitis, and microecological imbalances were observed in the observation group compared to the control group (all P<0.05). The observation group also experienced more adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes, such as chorioamnionitis, postpartum infections, fetal distress, and neonatal pneumonia (all P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that a vaginal pH≥4.5 and microecological imbalance were positively associated with poor maternal and infant outcomes in women with GAS infections (all P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The study found no β-lactam resistant GAS strains. Additionally, a higher vaginal pH (≥4.5) and microecological imbalance were linked to an increased risk of adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes in women with GAS infections.
PubMed: 38883355
DOI: 10.62347/ZKIE2772 -
Cureus May 2024In a rare condition known as vaginal agenesis, the uterus (womb) may develop only partially or not at all, while the vagina fails to develop altogether. It is common to...
In a rare condition known as vaginal agenesis, the uterus (womb) may develop only partially or not at all, while the vagina fails to develop altogether. It is common to diagnose vaginal agenesis, when a female does not start menstruation at puberty. This is a prenatal disorder that may also be linked to bone or kidney issues. Mullerian agenesis, Mullerian aplasia, and Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome are other names for the illness. Treatment modalities encompass surgical and nonsurgical interventions, including the utilization of prefabricated or customized vaginal stents for neovagina reconstruction and maintenance. This case report describes the development of a neovagina in a 27-year-old female diagnosed with vaginal agenesis, a characteristic of MRKH syndrome. A customized clear acrylic stent, designed to provide a resilient surface, serves as a straightforward and cost-efficient alternative for managing this condition. Significantly, it enhances patient's compliance and comfort during treatment, addressing both the physical and psychological ramifications of this congenital anomaly. This customized vaginal stent not only provides a practical solution but also contributes to enhancing the quality of life for individuals grappling with vaginal agenesis, thereby offering a promising avenue for addressing the multifaceted challenges associated with this condition.
PubMed: 38883068
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60512 -
PeerJ 2024Cancer has surpassed infectious diseases and heart ailments, taking the top spot in the disease hierarchy. Cervical cancer is a significant concern for women due to high...
BACKGROUND
Cancer has surpassed infectious diseases and heart ailments, taking the top spot in the disease hierarchy. Cervical cancer is a significant concern for women due to high incidence and mortality rates, linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection leads to precancerous lesions progressing to cervical cancer. The cervix's external os, near the vagina, hosts various microorganisms. Evidence points to the link between vaginal microbiota and HPV-induced cervical cancer. Cervical cancer onset aligns with an imbalanced Th1/Th2 immune response, but the role of vaginal microbiota in modulating this imbalance is unclear.
METHODS
In this study, we collected vaginal samples from 99 HPV-infected patients across varying degrees of lesions, alongside control groups. These samples underwent bacterial DNA sequencing. Additionally, we employed Elisa kits to quantify the protein expression levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines IL2, IL12, IL5, IL13, and TNFa within the centrifuged supernatant of vaginal-cervical secretions from diverse research subjects. Subsequently, correlation analyses were conducted between inflammatory factors and vaginal microbiota.
RESULTS
Our findings highlighted a correlation between decreased and increased presence with HPV-induced cervical cancer. Functionally, our predictive analysis revealed the predominant enrichment of the ABC transporter within the vaginal microbiota of cervical cancer patients. Notably, these microbiota alterations exhibited correlations with the production of Th1/Th2 cytokines, which are intimately tied to tumor immunity.
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests the potential involvement of vaginal microbiota in the progression of HPV-induced cervical cancer through Th1/Th2 cytokine regulation. This novel insight offers a fresh perspective for early cervical cancer diagnosis and future prevention strategies.
Topics: Humans; Female; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vagina; Microbiota; Papillomavirus Infections; Adult; Inflammation; Middle Aged; Cytokines; Cervix Uteri
PubMed: 38881859
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17415 -
Infectious Agents and Cancer Jun 2024The vagina hosts a community of microorganisms known as the vaginal microbiota. This community is relatively stable and straightforward, with Lactobacillus species being... (Review)
Review
The vagina hosts a community of microorganisms known as the vaginal microbiota. This community is relatively stable and straightforward, with Lactobacillus species being the most dominant members. The vaginal microbiota has various functions that are essential for maintaining human health and balance. For example, it can metabolise dietary nutrients, produce growth factors, communicate with other bacteria, modulate the immune system, and prevent the invasion of harmful pathogens. When the vaginal microbiota is disrupted, it can lead to diseases and infections. The observed disturbance is distinguished by a reduction in the prevalence of Lactobacillus and a concurrent rise in the number of other bacterial species that exhibit a higher tolerance to low oxygen levels. Gynecologic cancers are a group of cancers that affect the female reproductive organs and tissues, such as the ovaries, uterus, cervix, vagina, vulva, and endometrium. These cancers are a major global health problem for women. Understanding the complex interactions between the host and the vaginal microorganisms may provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. This could improve the quality of life and health outcomes for women.
PubMed: 38877504
DOI: 10.1186/s13027-024-00590-7