Term and preterm labour are associated with distinct microbial community structures in placental membranes which are independent of mode of delivery

R M Doyle; D G Alber; H E Jones; K Harris; F Fitzgerald; D Peebles; N Klein

doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2014.10.007

Term and preterm labour are associated with distinct microbial community structures in placental membranes which are independent of mode of delivery

Placenta. 2014 Dec;35(12):1099-101. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2014.10.007. Epub 2014 Oct 19.

Authors

R M Doyle¹, D G Alber², H E Jones³, K Harris⁴, F Fitzgerald⁵, D Peebles⁶, N Klein⁷

Affiliations

¹ Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Microbiology Department, Camelia Botnar Laboratories, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Institute for Womens Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 25458966
DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2014.10.007

Abstract

Infection is considered a possible trigger for preterm labour, supported by evidence showing the presence of bacteria in the placenta and placental membranes from preterm births. In this study, 16S rDNA pyrosequencing was used to identify bacteria in placental membranes. Caesarean sections and vaginal deliveries at term were found to harbour common genera. Mycoplasma hominis, Aerococcus christensenii, Gardnerella vaginalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum were either only present in preterm membranes or in greater abundance than at term. These data support previous studies that used either targeted qPCR or broad-range 16S rDNA PCR and cloning but not a recent microbiome analysis of placental tissue using high-throughput sequencing.

Keywords: 16S rDNA; High-throughput sequencing; Infection; Metagenetics; Placental membranes; Preterm labour.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aerococcus / isolation & purification
Delivery, Obstetric
Extraembryonic Membranes / microbiology*
Female
Gardnerella vaginalis / isolation & purification
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Mycoplasma hominis / isolation & purification
Obstetric Labor, Premature / microbiology*
Placenta / microbiology*
Pregnancy
Premature Birth / microbiology*
Term Birth*