Molecular detection of microbial colonization in cervical mucus of women with and without endometriosis

Kanoko Akiyama, Nishioka K, Keisuke Nishioka, Khaleque N Khan, Khaleque Newaz Khan, Khan KN, Yukiko Tanaka, Tanaka Y, Mori T, Taisuke Mori, Takaaki Nakaya, Nakaya T, Kitawaki J, Jo Kitawaki
American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2019 · vol. 82(2) , pp. e13147 · doi:10.1111/aji.13147 · PMID:31087436 · W2946017001
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 51 in-corpus citations
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This study used NGS to analyze cervical mucus microbiota, finding increased populations of Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus in women with endometriosis compared to controls.

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Abstract

PROBLEM: Intrauterine microbial colonization and its association with the pathogenesis of endometriosis via an innate immune cascade have been reported. As a potential source of microbial transmission, information on microbial colonization in cervical mucus is unknown. We investigated pattern of microbiota in the cervical mucus collected from women with and without endometriosis using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. METHOD OF STUDY: Cervical mucus samples were collected from women with (n = 30) and without (n = 39) endometriosis. The communities of microbiota in cervical mucus in the endometriosis group and the control group were examined by Gram staining and NGS targeting the V5-V6 region of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Copy number of some target bacteria was detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: We confirmed visual presence of bacteria in cervical mucus by Gram staining. NGS analysis showed that distribution of microbiota was similar in cervical mucus of women with and without endometriosis regardless of the phases of the menstrual cycle. In addition to predominant Lactobacilli spp., the populations of Corynebacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus were increased in the endometriosis group. Of them, Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus were identified as the more significant candidates in the endometriosis group than in controls by real-time PCR (P < 0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: Our NGS analysis of cervical mucus indicated that among a variable microbiota, two candidates (Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus) were more frequently detected in women with endometriosis. Further investigation is needed to elucidate a mechanistic link of these bacteria in the pathophysiology of endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Cervix Mucus Endometriosis Microbiota Adult Bacteria Bacteria Bacteria Cervix Mucus Corynebacterium Corynebacterium Corynebacterium Endometriosis Enterobacteriaceae Enterobacteriaceae Enterobacteriaceae Female Flavobacterium Flavobacterium Flavobacterium Gentian Violet

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