Antigen Presenting Cells Link the Female Genital Tract Microbiome to Mucosal Inflammation, With Hormonal Contraception as an Additional Modulator of Inflammatory Signatures.

ABSTRACT: The microbiome of the female genital tract (FGT) is closely linked to reproductive health outcomes. Diverse, anaerobe-dominated communities with low Lactobacillus abundance are associated with a number of adverse reproductive outcomes, such as preterm birth, cervical dysplasia, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Vaginal dysbiosis is associated with local mucosal inflammation, which likely serves as a biological mediator of poor reproductive outcomes. Yet the precise mechanisms of this FGT inflammation remain unclear. Studies in humans have been complicated by confounding demographic, behavioral, and clinical variables. Specifically, hormonal contraception is associated both with changes in the vaginal microbiome and with mucosal inflammation. In this study, w

SUBMITTER: Byrne EH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8482842 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature