{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Cervical microbiota dysbiosis associated with high-risk Human Papillomavirus infection.
{Author}: Zeber-Lubecka N;Kulecka M;Dabrowska M;Baginska-Drabiuk K;Glowienka-Stodolak M;Nowakowski A;Slabuszewska-Jozwiak A;Bednorz B;Jędrzejewska I;Piasecka M;Pawelec J;Wojciechowska-Lampka E;Ostrowski J;
{Journal}: PLoS One
{Volume}: 19
{Issue}: 4
{Year}: 2024
{Factor}: 3.752
{DOI}: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302270
{Abstract}: High-risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes, specifically HPV16 and HPV18, pose a significant risk for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. In the multifaceted cervical microenvironment, consisting of immune cells and diverse microbiota, Lactobacillus emerges as a pivotal factor, wielding significant influence in both stabilizing and disrupting the microbiome of the reproductive tract. To analyze the distinction between the cervical microbiota and Lactobacillus-dominant/non-dominant status of HR-HPV and non-infected healthy women, sixty-nine cervical swab samples were analyzed, included 44 with HR-HPV infection and healthy controls. All samples were recruited from Human Papillomavirus-based cervical cancer screening program and subjected to 16s rRNA sequencing analysis. Alpha and beta diversity analyses reveal no significant differences in the cervical microbiota of HR-HPV-infected women, including 16 and 18 HPV genotypes, and those with squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL), compared to a control group. In this study we identified significantly lower abundance of Lactobacillus mucosae in women with HR-HPV infection compared to the control group. Furthermore, changes in bacterial diversity were noted in Lactobacillus non-dominant (LND) samples compared to Lactobacillus-dominant (LD) in both HR-HPV-infected and control groups. LND samples in HR-HPV-infected women exhibited a cervical dysbiotic state, characterized by Lactobacillus deficiency. In turn, the LD HR-HPV group showed an overrepresentation of Lactobacillus helveticus. In summary, our study highlighted the distinctive roles of L. mucosae and L. helveticus in HR-HPV infections, signaling a need for further research to demonstrate potential clinical implications of cervical microbiota dysbiosis.