Relationship between the Cervical Microbiome, HIV Status, and Precancerous Lesions

Authors

Cameron Klein, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Daniela Gonzalez, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Kandali Samwel, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Crispin Kahesa, Dar es Salaam
Julius Mwaiselage, Dar es SalaamFollow
Nirosh Aluthge, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Samodha Fernando, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
John T. West, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Charles Wood, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Peter C. Angeletti, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2019

Citation

mBio 10:e02785-18.

Comments

© 2019 Klein et al.

Open access

https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02785-18

Abstract

Nearly all cervical cancers are causally associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). The burden of HPV-associated dysplasias in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by HIV. To investigate the role of the bacterial microbiome in cervical dysplasia, cytobrush samples were collected directly from cervical lesions of 144 Tanzanian women. The V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and deep sequenced. Alpha diversity metrics (Chao1, PD whole tree, and operational taxonomic unit [OTU] estimates) displayed significantly higher bacterial richness in HIV-positive patients (P = 0.01) than in HIV-negative patients. In HIV-positive patients, there was higher bacterial richness in patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) (P = 0.13) than those without lesions. The most abundant OTUs associated with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were Mycoplasmatales, Pseudomonadales, and Staphylococcus. We suggest that a chronic mycoplasma infection of the cervix may contribute to HPV-dependent dysplasia by sustained inflammatory signals.