TY - JOUR
T1 - The microbiota continuum along the female reproductive tract and its relation to uterine-related diseases
AU - Chen, Chen
AU - Song, Xiaolei
AU - Wei, Weixia
AU - Zhong, Huanzi
AU - Dai, Juanjuan
AU - Lan, Zhou
AU - Li, Fei
AU - Yu, Xinlei
AU - Feng, Qiang
AU - Wang, Zirong
AU - Xie, Hailiang
AU - Chen, Xiaomin
AU - Zeng, Chunwei
AU - Wen, Bo
AU - Zeng, Liping
AU - Du, Hui
AU - Tang, Huiru
AU - Xu, Changlu
AU - Xia, Yan
AU - Xia, Huihua
AU - Yang, Huanming
AU - Wang, Jian
AU - Wang, Jun
AU - Madsen, Lise
AU - Brix, Susanne
AU - Kristiansen, Karsten
AU - Xu, Xun
AU - Li, Junhua
AU - Wu, Ruifang
AU - Jia, Huijue
PY - 2017/10/17
Y1 - 2017/10/17
N2 - Reports on bacteria detected in maternal fluids during pregnancy are typically associated with adverse consequences, and whether the female reproductive tract harbours distinct microbial communities beyond the vagina has been a matter of debate. Here we systematically sample the microbiota within the female reproductive tract in 110 women of reproductive age, and examine the nature of colonisation by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and cultivation. We find distinct microbial communities in cervical canal, uterus, fallopian tubes and peritoneal fluid, differing from that of the vagina. The results reflect a microbiota continuum along the female reproductive tract, indicative of a non-sterile environment. We also identify microbial taxa and potential functions that correlate with the menstrual cycle or are over-represented in subjects with adenomyosis or infertility due to endometriosis. The study provides insight into the nature of the vagino-uterine microbiome, and suggests that surveying the vaginal or cervical microbiota might be useful for detection of common diseases in the upper reproductive tract.
AB - Reports on bacteria detected in maternal fluids during pregnancy are typically associated with adverse consequences, and whether the female reproductive tract harbours distinct microbial communities beyond the vagina has been a matter of debate. Here we systematically sample the microbiota within the female reproductive tract in 110 women of reproductive age, and examine the nature of colonisation by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and cultivation. We find distinct microbial communities in cervical canal, uterus, fallopian tubes and peritoneal fluid, differing from that of the vagina. The results reflect a microbiota continuum along the female reproductive tract, indicative of a non-sterile environment. We also identify microbial taxa and potential functions that correlate with the menstrual cycle or are over-represented in subjects with adenomyosis or infertility due to endometriosis. The study provides insight into the nature of the vagino-uterine microbiome, and suggests that surveying the vaginal or cervical microbiota might be useful for detection of common diseases in the upper reproductive tract.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85031789460&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-017-00901-0
DO - 10.1038/s41467-017-00901-0
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29042534
AN - SCOPUS:85031789460
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 8
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 875
ER -