Data from Evaluation of the Associations Between Cervical Microbiota and HPV Infection, Clearance, and Persistence in Cytologically Normal Women

Abstract

<div>Abstract<p>The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between cervical microbiota and different human papillomavirus (HPV) infection statuses in cytologically normal women. The cervical microbiota of HPV-positive or -negative women with a normal cytologic diagnosis was characterized and compared using 16S rDNA-based high-throughput sequencing, and the differences in cervical microbiota associated with new acquisition, persistence, and clearances of HPV genotypes were analyzed via one-year follow-up. The results showed that the cervical microbial richness of HPV-positive women was lower than for HPV-negative women, and the difference was more significant in the postmenopausal group relative to the premenopausal group. <i>Ureaplasma parvum</i> and related taxa were associated with baseline HPV positivity, while <i>Brochothrix, Diplorickettsia, Ezakiella, Faecalibacterium</i>, and <i>Fusobacterium</i> genera and their related taxa and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> were associated with baseline HPV negativity. For HPV-positive women, the baseline abundance of <i>Actinomyces</i> was negatively associated with new HPV infection, <i>Alloprevotella tannerae, Prevotella nigrescens</i>, and <i>Prevotella oulorum</i>; and <i>Dialister invisus</i> were positively associated with new HPV-type infection within the year of follow-up. <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i> was found to be negatively associated with persistent HPV infection and 9 taxa belonging to <i>Prevotella, Dialister</i>, and <i>Lachnospiraceae</i> were found to be positively associated with persistence, and/or negatively associated with clearance of HPV types. We also observed 10 novel taxa associated with the clearance/persistence of HPV that had not been reported elsewhere. Those taxa associated with different infection statuses of HPV could be used as a biomarker to help predict the risk of developing persistent HPV infection.</p></div>