Characterization of the vaginal microbiota of women with high-grade cervical dysplastic changes undergoing excision.

• Grant number: 24/02324-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Lucas Tadeu Bidinotto
• Grantee: Guilherme Ferrari Bevilacqua
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde de Barretos Dr Paulo Prata (FACISB). Barretos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cervical cancer is mainly caused by persistent high-risk HPV infection. However, the mechanisms associated with the clearance or persistence of HPV infection remain poorly understood and appear to be multifactorial, with possible protective factors of the lactobacillary microbiota being associated. Therefore, the present project aims to characterize the vaginal microbiota of women with precursor lesions of cervical cancer at the time of excisional treatment. This is a prospective study, which will include 60 women without cervical intraepithelial lesions and negative HPV and 60 women with high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions, treated at Hospital de Amor de Barretos. During the speculum examination, vaginal material will be collected for cytological analysis after Gram staining, to determine eubiosis and dysbiosis. Additionally, material will be collected for molecular analysis of the microbiota through sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal bacterial gene and determination of CST (Community State Types) profiles through bioinformatics analysis. Finally, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines will be measured. All these data will be associated with the patients' clinicopathological data and compared between the patient groups. We hope to determine a specific CST pattern associated with women with cervical cancer precursor lesions.