Characterization of the Uterine Microbiome in Endometrial Cancer Patients and Identification of the genus Anaerococcus as a Potential Indicator of EC and a Possible Carcinogenic Cofactor. SONATA-17 2021/43/D/NZ7/01386 (dataset)

Abstract

The advent of sequencing techniques has facilitated the application of microbiome studies in cancer research. It has been observed that microbial pathogens contribute to tumorigenesis in a significant portion of reported cancer cases. Endometrial cancer (EC) is a prevalent malignancy among women, with several known risk factors such as estrogen exposure, age, obesity, and comorbidities. The upper genital tract of healthy women is typically dominated by Lactobacillus species. Dysbiosis in microbial composition has been observed in EC. In the presented study, the endocervical canal microbiomes of women with EC or endometrial myoma (EM) were examined. Microbial communities in endometrial samples significantly differed between the two groups, with EC samples exhibiting higher microbial diversity. Pathogenic taxa such as Streptococcus, Anaerococcus, Prevotella, Gardnerella, Peptoniphilus, and Porphyromonas were enriched in EC samples. Interestingly, the genus Anaerococcus was found to be a differentiating taxon between microbiomes isolated from women with EC and those with benign lesions (EM). As A. vaginalis is a well-recognized gynecological pathogen associated with chronic endometritis, endometriosis and bacterial vaginosis, the ability of cells of this species to adhere to human uterine fibroblasts and induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was investigated, revealing a potential role for this bacterium in the development of endometrial cancer. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of the uterine microbiome in endometrial cancer.