Wee Bryan A, Thomas Mark, Sweeney Emma Louise, Frentiu Francesca D, Samios Melanie, Ravel Jacques, Gajer Pawel, Myers Garry, Timms Peter, Allan John A, Huston Wilhelmina M
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2018 Jun;58(3):341-348. doi: 10.1111/ajo.12754. Epub 2017 Dec 26.
We know very little about the microbiota inhabiting the upper female reproductive tract and how it impacts on fertility.
This pilot study aimed to examine the vaginal, cervical and endometrial microbiota for women with a history of infertility compared to women with a history of fertility.
Using a retrospective case-control study design, women were recruited for collection of vaginal, cervical and endometrial samples. The microbiota composition was analysed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplification and endometrial expression of selected human genes by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Sixty-five specimens from the reproductive tract of 31 women were successfully analysed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (16 controls and 15 cases). The dominant microbial community members were consistent in the vagina and cervix, and generally consistent with the endometrium although the relative proportions varied. We detected three major microbiota clusters that did not group by tissue location or case-control status. There was a trend that infertile women more often had Ureaplasma in the vagina and Gardnerella in the cervix. Testing for the expression of selected genes in the endometrium did not show evidence of correlation with case-control status, or with microbial community composition, although Tenascin-C expression correlated with a history of miscarriage.
There is a need for further exploration of the endometrial microbiota, and how the microbiota members or profile interplays with fertility or assisted reproductive technologies.
我们对女性上生殖道中的微生物群及其对生育能力的影响知之甚少。
这项初步研究旨在对比有生育史的女性，检查有不孕史女性的阴道、宫颈和子宫内膜微生物群。
采用回顾性病例对照研究设计，招募女性以收集阴道、宫颈和子宫内膜样本。通过16S核糖体RNA（rRNA）基因扩增分析微生物群组成，并通过定量逆转录聚合酶链反应分析选定人类基因的子宫内膜表达。
使用16S rRNA基因扩增子测序成功分析了31名女性生殖道的65个样本（16个对照和15个病例）。阴道和宫颈中的主要微生物群落成员一致，子宫内膜中的情况总体也一致，尽管相对比例有所不同。我们检测到三个主要的微生物群簇，它们并未按组织位置或病例对照状态分组。有一个趋势是，不孕女性阴道中解脲脲原体和宫颈中加德纳菌的检出率更高。对子宫内膜中选定基因的表达进行检测，未发现与病例对照状态或微生物群落组成存在相关性的证据，不过肌腱蛋白-C的表达与流产史相关。
有必要进一步探索子宫内膜微生物群，以及微生物群成员或特征如何与生育能力或辅助生殖技术相互作用。
