Compositional and Functional Differences between Microbiota and Cervical Carcinogenesis as Identified by Shotgun...

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Cervical carcinogenesis
• Metagenomics

Background:

• Emerging evidence suggests a role for the microbiome in cervical disease.
• However, detailed understanding of microbiome composition and function in cervical carcinogenesis remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify compositional and functional alterations of cervical microbiomes in Korean women with cervical carcinogenesis.
• To investigate differences in microbial abundances and metabolic functions between normal, pre-cancerous (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3), and cancerous cervical tissues.

Main Methods:

• Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was employed to analyze cervical metagenomes.
• Samples included 17 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3, 12 cases of cervical cancer, and 18 normal controls.
• Microbial abundances and enriched metabolic functions (KEGG orthologies and COG categories) were identified.

Main Results:

• Distinct microbial genera were enriched in cervical cancer (Alkaliphilus, Pseudothermotoga, Wolbachia), CIN 2/3 (Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Candidatus Endolissoclinum), and normal controls (Pseudoalteromonas, Psychrobacter).
• Six KEGG orthologies involved in 10 pathways were associated with increased risk of CIN2/3 and cervical cancer.
• Peptidoglycan synthesis pathways were enriched, while dioxin degradation and 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase pathways were depleted. The 'Defense mechanisms' COG category was depleted in cervical cancer.

Conclusions:

• Cervical microbiome composition and metagenomic profiles significantly differ between cervical lesions and normal subjects.
• These findings highlight potential microbial biomarkers and functional pathways involved in cervical carcinogenesis.
• Larger sample sizes and aggregated data are recommended for future studies to ensure statistical power and reproducibility.