Bactérias biomarcadoras na microbiota vaginal associadas ao prognóstico de câncer de colo de útero relacionado à infecção por HPV de alto risco

Abstract

The vaginal microbiota is a complex ecosystem formed by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, which live in dynamic equilibrium. Factors such as immunity and hormonal variations can cause loss of balance, leading to the proliferation of opportunistic pathogens and resulting in diseases. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a polymicrobial disease, and may occur in association with other microorganisms, such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most prevalent in the female sexually active population, being a risk factor for the development of cervical intraepithelial lesions, which may progress to cervical cancer. Some bacteria may act as biomarkers of the persistence of infection and progression of the lesion to cervical cancer. The study of these bacteria is essential to assess the prognosis of HPV positive women and reduce the mortality rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of bacteria biomarkers of persistence of HPV infection in clinically healthy women with or without HPV, proposing a predictive kit for cervical cancer. Vaginal secretion and cervical scrapings were collected (n= 66) and viral and bacterial DNA was extracted. PCR reaction for HPV genotyping was performed, as well as qPCR for biomarker bacteria. The average age of the participants was 35 years old, with a minimum age of 18 years old and a maximum age of 49 years old. It was observed that 45% of the women were white, 48% had completed high school and 47% classified their marital status as single. HPV was detected in 80% of the samples. HPV 18 was the most common (62%) in monoinfection. The frequency of co-infection with HPV 16 and 18 was 27%. In the age group of 18 to 25 years, 43% of women had HPV 16 and 18% HPV 18, and 33% had co infection with HPV 16 and 18. The relative quantification of biomarker bacteria was evaluated. The most common CST is CST I (77%), followed by CST IV (21%) and CST II (2%). Women who have a productive infection have greater microbial diversity, with an increase in biomarkers, demonstrating that these can be used to monitor the dynamics of the microbiota and its relationship with HPV. The cervical cancer prognosis kit is important in personalized medical monitoring, as it will allow early treatment interventions, promoting health.