LAUSR

In this study we examined potential associations of HPV infection with the cervical microbiota. Cervical samples were collected from 87 HIV-seronegative reproductive-age Black South African women. Microbiota were characterized by Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Thirty seven (42.5%) and 30 (34.5%) of the women had prevalent HPV and high-risk (HR)-HPV, respectively. Only 23 women (26.4%) had cervical microbiota dominated by a single Lactobacillus species (L. crispatus (2/87 (2.3%)), L. jensenii (2/87 (2.3%)), and L. iners (19/87 (21.8%)). The majority of the women (56/87 (64.4%)) had diverse cervical microbiota consisting of mainly bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria. The remaining women (8/87 (9.2%)) had microbiota dominated by Aerococcus, Streptococcus, Chlamydia or Corynebacterium. Women with HR-HPV had significantly higher relative abundances of Aerococcaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae compared to those with low-risk (LR)-HPV or no HPV-infection (LDA score >2.0, p < 0.05, q < 0.2). Gardnerella, Sneathia, and Atopobium were also found at greater relative abundances in HR-HPV-infected women compared to those with low-risk (LR)-HPV or no HPV-infection (LDA score >2.0, p < 0.05), although the difference was not significant after FDR-adjustment (q > 0.2). Further investigations of the bacterial taxa significantly enriched in HR-HPV-infected women are warranted.