Diversity of endocervical microbiota associated with genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection and infertility among women visiting obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Malaysia

PLoS One. 2019 Nov 18;14(11):e0224658. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224658. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

The cervical microbiota constitutes an important protective barrier against the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms. A disruption of microbiota within the cervical milieu has been suggested to be a driving factor of sexually transmitted infections. These include Chlamydia trachomatis which frequently causes serious reproductive sequelae such as infertility in women. In this study, we profiled the cervical microbial composition of a population of 70 reproductive-age Malaysian women; among which 40 (57.1%) were diagnosed with genital C. trachomatis infection, and 30 (42.8%) without C. trachomatis infection. Our findings showed a distinct compositional difference between the cervical microbiota of C. trachomatis-infected subjects and subjects without C. trachomatis infection. Specifically, significant elevations of mostly strict and facultative anaerobes such as Streptococcus, Megasphaera, Prevotella, and Veillonella in the cervical microbiota of C. trachomatis-positive women were detected. The results from the current study highlights an interaction of C. trachomatis with the environmental microbiome in the endocervical region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Academic Medical Centers
  • Adult
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / immunology
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / isolation & purification
  • Cervix Uteri / microbiology*
  • Chlamydia Infections / complications
  • Chlamydia Infections / immunology
  • Chlamydia Infections / microbiology*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / isolation & purification*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / pathogenicity
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Female
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / immunology
  • Humans
  • Infertility / immunology
  • Infertility / microbiology*
  • Malaysia
  • Metagenomics
  • Microbiota / genetics
  • Microbiota / immunology*
  • Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FP014-2017A) from the Malaysian Ministry of Education to WFW, and University of Malaya Specialist Center (UMSC) C.A.R.E. Fund (PV061-2018) to SS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.