Multi-Omics Approach to Identify Metabolic Biomarkers of Vaginal Microbiome Health and Disease
Abstract
Vaginal infections characterized by microbial dysbiosis lead to inflammatory responses that are believed to be responsible for serious reproductive complications, including spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). The etiology of SPTB remains unclear and to date the clinical and scientific communities lack an understanding of the vaginal environment with regard to the microbiome, inflammatory and hormonal factors, and the metabolome. The proposed pilot study will significantly advance the field by exploring the use of metabolomics for detection and analysis of microbiomes, and developing the analytical tools needed for identifying metabolomic and microbial biomarkers that could be used to discriminate healthy and diseased states indicative or predictive of SPTB. In this pilot study, vaginal specimens will be collected at 16-20 weeks gestation from two cohorts of healthy pregnant women: 6 normal women with no prior history of PTB (low risk of presenting with SPTB) versus 6 women with prior history of PTB (high risk of presenting with SPTB). Using these specimens, next-generation metagenomic sequencing and multiplex-immunologic profiling (Aim 1) and metabolomic profiling (Aim 2) will be used to characterize and compare the vaginal microbiomes and their associated immunologic states and metabolomes to identify early biomarkers (Aim 3) of vaginal health during pregnancy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 18, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1058700
Entities
People
- Barbara L. Mcfarlin
- Brenda A. Wilson
- Melissa Pires-alves
- Mengfei Ho
- Patrick D. Thornton
- Samadh F. Ravangard
Organizations
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign