Vaginal microbiome and inflammation cytokines among Chinese women

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), cervical polyps, abnormal uterine bleeding, and vaginitis are common gynecological disorders. This study characterized the vaginal microbiome and its cytokine-mediated immune interactions in Chinese women with gynecological disorders. Vaginal swabs from 310 patients diagnosed with gynecological disorders and 112 healthy controls were analyzed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and cytometric bead array (CBA) to evaluate proinflammatory cytokines. Findings on correlation were validated through in vitro co-culture experiments. HPV infection and CIN were associated with dysbiotic microbial profiles and elevated levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and MIG. Stratification by microbial composition demonstrated that HPV/CIN patients with non-Lactobacillus-dominant microbiomes harbored the highest IL-1α and IL-1β concentrations. Validated through computational modeling and in vitro analyses, Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners were identified as being strongly inversely correlated with IL-1α and IL-1β expression. Conversely, non-Lactobacillus taxa, including Bifidobacterium breve, Prevotella bivia, Gardnerella vaginalis, Sneathia amnii, Sneathia sanguinegens, Prevotella amnii, Escherichia coli, and Chlamydia trachomatis, exhibited positive correlations with proinflammatory cytokines. These findings highlight a connection between Lactobacillus species and reduced inflammation, while non-Lactobacillus dominance is linked to increased cytokine-driven responses. This study provides valuable insights into microbiome-immune crosstalk in gynecological diseases.