Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2024-03-01Epub Date: 2023-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100097
Asif Iqbal Khan , Ata Ur Rehman , Qamar Ayub , Yining Sun , Waleed Yousuf , Shizhu Zang , Nimra Zafar Siddiqui , Yi Xin , Liang Wang
{"title":"The composition of the blood microbiota and its relationship to osteoporosis-related clinical parameters","authors":"Asif Iqbal Khan , Ata Ur Rehman , Qamar Ayub , Yining Sun , Waleed Yousuf , Shizhu Zang , Nimra Zafar Siddiqui , Yi Xin , Liang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Osteoporosis, a systemic bone disease, is characterized by decreased bone mass, deterioration of skeletal structure, and increased bone susceptibility. Age, environment, hormone levels, nutrition, and immunity are all factors that influence bone mass. Currently, intestinal flora has been recently recognized as a key regulator of bone mass. The blood's microbiome role in bone health and in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis remains unknown. In this study, the abundance of various blood's microbial taxa in osteoporosis patients were analyzed. We investigated the associations between prominent bacterial taxa and other clinical indicators (i.e. biochemical, blood cell counts and CT scan). DNA was extracted from the whole blood samples of patients with degenerative bone diseases with or without osteoporosis (i.e. n = 8; ST and n = 12, T group) and healthy controls (n = 4, N group). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique was utilized to characterize the blood microbiome taxaThe Shannon–Winner and dilution curves revealed that all the characterized species in the sample and the sequencing data were reliable. The number of bacterial taxa in blood and annotated operational taxonomic units were positively correlated with neutrophils. This support that bacteria exist within or adhere to the neutrophil's membrane. The abundance of Yersinia ruckeri, Rhodanobacter_uncultured bacterium, Enterobacter spp., and Raoultella spp increased in the ST group as compared with the N group. Hence, indicate their potential role in the onset and progression of osteoporosis. These findings provide new insights into the association between blood microbiota and bone health. This study could open a new horizon in exploring the clinical application of blood microbiome to improve bone health.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100097"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097823000228/pdfft?md5=82e836124234228732dfbaf27e13bd9a&pid=1-s2.0-S2590097823000228-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139100928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100093
Lulu Huang , Yuting Yuan , Xu Liao , Qiaoru Li , Jun Long , Danna Lin , Xiaorong Lai , Li Wu , Juan Zi , Yu Huang , Juhua Yang , Bingxue Hu , Chao Zhuo , Lihua Yang
{"title":"Disseminated Fusarium solani infection in a child with acute lymphocytic leukemia: A case report and literature review","authors":"Lulu Huang , Yuting Yuan , Xu Liao , Qiaoru Li , Jun Long , Danna Lin , Xiaorong Lai , Li Wu , Juan Zi , Yu Huang , Juhua Yang , Bingxue Hu , Chao Zhuo , Lihua Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100093","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100093","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Although invasive mycosis is a common complication of hematologic malignancies, invasive <em>Fusarium</em> infection, especially systemic disseminated <em>Fusarium</em> infection is rare, which has a high mortality due to remarkable intrinsic drug resistance.</p></div><div><h3>Result</h3><p>We reported a case of 5-year-old high-risk acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) female patient complicated with disseminated <em>Fusarium solani</em> infection during the course of chemotherapy. After diagnosis of ALL, the case was treated according to the South China Children's Leukemia Group-ALL-2016 protocol, and achieved a molecular complete response. On the seventh day of reinduction chemotherapy, she experienced endophthalmitis in the right eye along with recurrent high fever. Three days later, endophthalmitis spread to the left eye, blood culture and next-generation sequencing returned positive result for <em>Fusarium solani</em>. The patient was subsequently treated with antifungal therapy including Amphotericin B, Voriconazole and Posaconazole together with supportive treatments, but the effects were less satisfying. The patient then developed endocarditis, encephalitis, arthritis and other disseminated lesions caused by <em>Fusarium solani</em> infection, and eventually died of multiple organ failure.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This case we reported highlights the lethality of disseminated <em>Fusarium</em> species infection in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, early diagnosis and timely anti-infective treatments are of utmost importance as that helps in controlling the spread of infection thereby leading to a favorable outcome.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100093"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097823000186/pdfft?md5=4604d79dfa20179b9c5abcb4d5633803&pid=1-s2.0-S2590097823000186-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135510519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-10-31DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100092
Xavier Valenzuela , Hayden Hedman , Alma Villagomez , Paul Cardenas , Joseph N.S. Eisenberg , Karen Levy , Lixin Zhang , Gabriel Trueba
{"title":"Distribution of blaCTX-M-gene variants in E. coli from different origins in Ecuador","authors":"Xavier Valenzuela , Hayden Hedman , Alma Villagomez , Paul Cardenas , Joseph N.S. Eisenberg , Karen Levy , Lixin Zhang , Gabriel Trueba","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The increasing abundance of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in <em>E. coli,</em> and other commensal and pathogenic bacteria, endangers the utility of third or more recent generation cephalosporins, which are major tools for fighting deadly infections. The role of domestic animals in the transmission of ESBL carrying bacteria has been recognized, especially in low- and middle-income countries, however the horizontal gene transfer of these genes is difficult to assess. Here we investigate <em>bla</em><sub>CTX-M</sub> gene diversity (and flanking nucleotide sequences) in <em>E. coli</em> from chicken and humans, in an Ecuadorian rural community and from chickens in another location in Ecuador. The <em>bla</em><sub>CTX-M</sub> associated sequences in isolates from humans and chickens in the same remote community showed greater similarity than those found in <em>E. coli</em> in a chicken industrial operation 200 km away. Our study may provide evidence of <em>bla</em><sub>CTX-M</sub> transfer between chickens and humans in the community.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100092"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097823000174/pdfft?md5=67d3f744e9de6fd4f42839f88fdb7a43&pid=1-s2.0-S2590097823000174-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91959405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-11-15DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100094
Mohammad Abavisani , Farhad Dadgar , Masoud Keikha
{"title":"The presence of urogenital mycoplasmas and the risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus","authors":"Mohammad Abavisani , Farhad Dadgar , Masoud Keikha","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100094","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100094"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097823000198/pdfft?md5=a03cf845d02037a8783f07492c2f92a2&pid=1-s2.0-S2590097823000198-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138403853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100091
Deboral Panneerselvam, Anuradha Murugesan
{"title":"Maternal microplastic exposure during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus associated with gut dysbiosis","authors":"Deboral Panneerselvam, Anuradha Murugesan","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The increased production and consumption of plastic items in the modern era has resulted in the generation of numerous microplastics (MPs) in the environment. Numerous researchers and clinicians were intrigued by the world's extensive use, distribution, and abundance of MPs. They were curious to study their interactions with biological systems and their impact on human health. Microplastic exposure occurs through various routes like oral, dermal, and inhalation, leading to metabolism alteration, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity. Microplastics contain intentionally added additives that, when combined, act as endocrine disruptors (EDCs), disrupting the natural hormone system and can cause cancer, diabetes, and neurological impairment in a developing fetus. The EDCs in microplastics may regulate glucose homeostasis, as shown by the occurrence of gestational impaired glucose tolerance, leading to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). As the primary route of exposure to microplastics in humans is through ingestion, microplastics, and their additives ultimately enter the gastrointestinal tract and alter the gut microflora. Numerous metagenomics studies have demonstrated that the gut microflora of women with GDM are enriched with organisms like Ruminococcae, Parabacteroides distansonis, and Prevatella. The metabolic pathways for insulin signaling and carbohydrate metabolism are connected to these microbiota populations. The impact of microplastics on maternal exposure and their possible alteration of glucose metabolism, leading to GDM, as well as their association with gut microbiome dysbiosis, are addressed in this review.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100091"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"50184912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Antimicrobial peptides: A small molecule for sustainable healthcare applications","authors":"Deenadayalan Karaiyagowder Govindarajan, Kumaravel Kandaswamy","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are compounds that inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens by preventing microbial colonization in the host. AMPs are usually found in animals, humans, and plants. In particular, AMPs of human origin are released by cells of the immune system in response to microbial infections. Studies have shown that AMPs target virulence proteins of bacterial strains and inhibit the colonization of host tissues. However, over the past few decades, the emergence of drug-resistant pathogenic strains has led to sources for AMPs from green sources such as tropical plants. Such plant-based AMPs (pAMPs) were proven to exhibit antimicrobial activity against several gram-positive, gram-negative, and fungal pathogens. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of pAMPs such as thionins, defensins, snakins, lipid transfer peptides, and knottin-like peptides from a wide range of plant sources. For instance, pAMP such as defensins (CtDef1) from the plant species <em>Clitoria ternatea</em> were proven to inhibit <em>Bacillus subtilis</em>. In addition, such pAMPs are sustainable as they are extracted from green sources such as plants. Therefore, pAMP can potentially combat the threat of drug resistance in pathogenic strains. This review highlights the mechanism of the plant AMPs and their role in killing bacterial cells. In addition, this article also critically evaluates the studies conducted using pAMP conjugated with fluorescent markers to identify the subcellular targets. Overall, this article emphasizes the potential of plant AMPs in mitigating drug resistance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100090"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"50184911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-06-22DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100086
Kawther Aabed , Nadine Moubayed , Rasha S. Ramadan , Munerah S. BinShabaib , Shatha Subhi ALHarthi
{"title":"A population-based study of the salivary prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in Saudi Arabian adults with chronic periodontitis","authors":"Kawther Aabed , Nadine Moubayed , Rasha S. Ramadan , Munerah S. BinShabaib , Shatha Subhi ALHarthi","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100086","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100086","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aims</h3><p>This study was designed to investigate the incidence of subgingival <em>Porphyromonas gingivalis</em> and <em>Aggregatiba</em>cter <em>actinomycetemcomitans</em> infections and their relationship with genetic variability in Saudi Arabian adults with chronic periodontitis and to evaluate the correlation between infection frequency and other variables.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were developed to detect <em>P. gingivalis</em> 16 S rDNA, fimbria (fimA), and collagenase (prtC) genes, as well as the A. actinomycetemcomitans 16 S rDNA, leukotoxin (lktA), and fimbria-associated protein (fap) genes in saliva samples from 50 patients with periodontitis and 51 healthy subjects.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The incidence of both <em>P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans</em> infections was higher (72% and 14%) in the “Periodontal disease” group than in the healthy subjects (P < 0.001). The P. gingivalis 16 S rDNA, fimA, and prtC genes were detected in 43.56%, 61.36%, and 84.09% of saliva samples, respectively, while <em>A. actinomycetemcomitans</em> 16 S rDNA, lktA, and fap genes were detected in 6.93%, 71.43%, and 0%, respectively. <em>P. gingivalis</em> strains with the fimA+/prtC + genotype were found in 61.11% and 25% of chronic periodontitis patients and healthy subjects, respectively. By comparison, <em>A. actinomycetemcomitans</em> strains with the lktA+ genotype were found in 71.43% of chronic periodontitis patients.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Infection with fimA+ and prtC+ <em>P. gingivalis</em> or lktA+ <em>A. actinomycetemcomitans</em> was correlated with periodontal disease occurrence in Saudi adults. Nevertheless, <em>A. actinomycetemcomitans</em> lktA and <em>P. gingivalis</em> fimA and prtC are closely linked to periodontal destruction, whereas <em>A. actinomycetemcomitans</em> fap is not.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100086"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46251037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-06-29DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100087
Riya Joshi, Sunil D. Saroj
{"title":"Survival and evasion of Neisseria meningitidis from macrophages","authors":"Riya Joshi, Sunil D. Saroj","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Human is a host to billions of microbes and has developed sophisticated defense systems to stave off infections. Macrophages, which are at the forefront of innate immune protection against bacterial invaders, play a critical role in host responses to intracellular bacteria. At the same time, these phagocytes are prime targets for intracellular bacteria seeking to exploit host cells. <em>Neisseria meningitidis</em> belongs to a select group of bacterial pathogens with a sophisticated arsenal of virulence factors that can disrupt macrophage defense mechanisms or counter-balance the host's immunological defense mechanisms in order to ensure survival or expansion in a hostile environment. Worldwide, meningococci continues to play a significant role in the development of severe sepsis and meningitis. There is still much to learn about the tactics <em>N. meningitidis</em> uses to avoid immune response, such as mimicking host molecules, expression of virulence factor, capsule switching, and lipopolysaccharide phase changes. The macrophage evasion mechanisms of meningococcal present significant challenges for therapy and treatments. This review provides an overview of factors that meningococci utilize to manipulate macrophage immune responses and understand the asymptomatic and infection phases. Knowledge of the intricate web of host-pathogen interaction can help us find new target sites to devise effective therapeutics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100087"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45623817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-06-08DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100085
M.R. Adedayo , J.K. Akintunde , A. Sani , A. Boligon
{"title":"Effect of nutriment from monoculture fermentation of Adasonia digitata seeds by Penicillium chrysogenum on haematology and functional endpoints of intra and extrahepatic tissues in rats","authors":"M.R. Adedayo , J.K. Akintunde , A. Sani , A. Boligon","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This current study is to identify the most appropriate dose against intra and extrahepatic toxic agents as well as hematosuppressive agent in rats. The animals were divided into six groups (n = 10). Group 1 was placed on basal diet. Group II, III and IV were placed on a basal diets supplemented with 9.9%, 19.8% and 30%, respectively of MCF-ADSPC. Group V was placed on basal diet fed with unfermented <em>Adasonia digitata</em> seeds (UF-ADS) for 56 days. The results revealed 9.9% MCF-ADSPC as better dose to augment weight growth and total protein in rats. Similarly, MCF-ADSPC generated slight increase of WBC and centrophils count at lowest dose (9.9%) and highest dose (30%), respectively better than UF-ADS. The levels of PCV, RBC, haemoglobin, neutrophil, lymphocyte, eosinophils, basophils and monocytes showed no significant difference. Whereas, 19.8% MCF-ADSPC showed a better protection against hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, intestinal mucosa, abnormal cholesterol level and splenomegaly in relation to 9.9%, 30% MCF-ADSPC and UF-ADS. Conclusively, MCF-ADSPC nutriment at 19.8% dose protected functional endpoints of intra and extrahepatic tissues than UF-ADS in a rat model.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100085"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47509941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medicine in MicroecologyPub Date : 2023-06-01Epub Date: 2023-05-22DOI: 10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100080
Nkechi Martina Odogwu , Oladapo O. Olayemi , Akinyinka O. Omigbodun
{"title":"Biogeographical effect on the diversity of vaginal microbiome in preterm birth: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Nkechi Martina Odogwu , Oladapo O. Olayemi , Akinyinka O. Omigbodun","doi":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.medmic.2023.100080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Women of European Ancestry are more likely to harbor a Lactobacillus-dominated microbiome that supports healthy pregnancy progression compared to women of African descent who are more likely to experience preterm birth due to a diverse microbial profile. However, to date, many of these studies linking a diverse vaginal profile to adverse pregnancy outcomes in women of African ancestry are commonly focused on Blacks in Westernized populations. To bridge this gap, a comparative systematic review and meta-analysis were performed by searching PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. A total of 40 studies assessing the vaginal microbiome and preterm birth using molecular-based techniques were selected for full-text review. After extensively analyzing these studies for experimental design, the method applied, clinical characteristics, and geographical location, only two articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. A meta-analysis was conducted by merging two studies comprising 217 samples from 115 pregnant women of African descent. Taxon analysis of vaginal profiles shows that Nigerian women had a significantly higher abundance of <em>Atopobium</em> (q<0.05; permutation test), compared to African American (AA) women who were significantly more enriched with Sneathia (q<0.05; permutation test). The mean Alpha-diversity was not significantly different between the AA and Nigerian groups (3.3 ± 0.09 versus 2.9 ± 0.09, p = 0.10) respectively. Vaginal communities of AA women were relatively unstable, only <em>Ureaplasma</em> parvum remained stable throughout pregnancy (p<sub>ADF</sub> <0.001), whereas <em>L</em>. crispatus, L. iners, and Atopobium vaginae were relatively more stable over pregnancy (p<sub>ADF</sub> <0.001) in Nigerian women. In summary, our study indicated that there are differences in the core vaginal microbiome composition in women of similar ethnicity in different geographical locations. Future work should focus on advancing precision medicine by understanding the microbiome from an individual perspective, independent of ethnicity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":36019,"journal":{"name":"Medicine in Microecology","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100080"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42442263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}