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Review
. 2020 Jan;127(2):147-158.
doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.15974. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Re-assessing microbiomes in the low-biomass reproductive niche

J L O'Callaghan  1   2 , R Turner  3 , M Dekker Nitert  4 , H L Barrett  5   6 , V Clifton  7 , E S Pelzer  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Re-assessing microbiomes in the low-biomass reproductive niche

J L O'Callaghan et al. BJOG. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

The female reproductive tract represents a continuum between the vagina and the upper genital tract. New evidence from cultivation-independent studies suggests that the female upper genital tract is not sterile; however, the significance of this for reproductive health and disease remains to be elucidated fully. Further, diagnosis and treatment of infectious reproductive tract pathologies using cultivation-independent technologies represents a largely unchartered area of modern medical science. The challenge now is to design well-controlled experiments to account for the ease of contamination known to confound molecular-based studies of low-biomass niches, including the uterus and placenta. This will support robust assessment of the potential function of microorganisms, microbial metabolites, and cell-free bacterial DNA on reproductive function in health and disease. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Molecular microbial studies of low-biomass niches require stringent experimental controls to reveal causal relations in reproductive health and disease.

Keywords: Endometrium; fallopian tube; low-biomass; microbiome; placenta; vagina.

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References

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