FEBS Open Bio (Nov 2024)

Microbiological investigation of pregnancies following vaginal radical trachelectomy using 16S rRNA sequencing of FFPE placental specimens

  • Risa Tsunematsu,
  • Tasuku Mariya,
  • Mina Umemoto,
  • Shiori Ogawa,
  • Wataru Arai,
  • Suguru E. Tanaka,
  • Kyota Ashikawa,
  • Terufumi Kubo,
  • Yoshiyuki Sakuraba,
  • Tsuyoshi Baba,
  • Shinichi Ishioka,
  • Toshiaki Endo,
  • Tsuyoshi Saito

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13892
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 11
pp. 1825 – 1836

Abstract

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This study examined the risk of intrauterine infection associated with radical trachelectomy (RT) in early‐stage cervical cancer patients. This procedure preserves fertility but is linked to increased risk of intrauterine infection due to cervical defects during pregnancy. DNA was extracted from the formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) placental specimens of 23 pregnant post‐RT patients and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used for bacterial identification. The prevalence of Lactobacillus crispatus and Burkholderia stabilis was significantly higher in the non‐chorioamnionitis group. In contrast, alpha diversity analysis using the PD index showed significantly higher diversity in the chorioamnionitis group (P = 0.04). The demonstrated relationship between chorioamnionitis and microbial diversity affirms the importance of controlling the genital bacterial flora in pregnancies following RT.

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