Cervicovaginal Microbiota Profiles in Precancerous Lesions and Cervical Cancer among Ethiopian Women

Authors

Brhanu Teka
Kyoko Yoshida-Court
Ededia Firdawoke
Zewditu Chanyalew
Muluken Gizaw
Adamu Addissie
Adane Mihret
Lauren E Colbert
Tatiana Cisneros Napravnik
Molly B El Alam
Erica J Lynn
Melissa Mezzari
Jhingran Anuja
Eva Johanna Kantelhardt
Andreas M Kaufmann
Ann H Klopp
Tamrat Abebe

Publication Date

3-24-2023

Journal

Microorganisms

Abstract

Although high-risk human papillomavirus infection is a well-established risk factor for cervical cancer, other co-factors within the local microenvironment may play an important role in the development of cervical cancer. The current study aimed to characterize the cervicovaginal microbiota in women with premalignant dysplasia or invasive cervical cancer compared with that of healthy women. The study comprised 120 Ethiopian women (60 cervical cancer patients who had not received any treatment, 25 patients with premalignant dysplasia, and 35 healthy women). Cervicovaginal specimens were collected using either an Isohelix DNA buccal swab or an Evalyn brush, and ribosomal RNA sequencing was used to characterize the cervicovaginal microbiota. Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were used to evaluate alpha diversity. Beta diversity was examined using principal coordinate analysis of weighted UniFrac distances. Alpha diversity was significantly higher in patients with cervical cancer than in patients with dysplasia and in healthy women (

Keywords

Ethiopia, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, high-risk HPV, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical microbiota

Comments

Supplementary Materials

PMID: 37110255