Vaginal and Endometrial Microbiome Dysbiosis Associated with Adverse Embryo Transfer Outcomes

Overview

Journal Reprod Biol Endocrinol

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Endocrinology
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2024 Aug 28

PMID 39198832

Authors

Weijue Su

Chaochao Gong

Haoyue Zhong

Huaqing Yang

Yuyan Chen

Xiaoyuan Wu

Jing Jin

Haitao Xi

Junzhao Zhao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is the most effective method to treat infertility and the pathogenesis of implantation failure after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is a challenging filed in infertility. Microbes in the female reproductive tract are considered to be associated with gynecological and obstetric diseases. However, its effects on embryo implantation failure are unsured.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate reproductive tract dysbiosis, identify different bacteria in reproductive tract as potential biomarkers of embryo implantation failure and demonstrate the pathogenesis through metabolites analysis.

Methods: We compared the data from 16S rRNA gene and metagenome in reproductive tracts through QIIME2 and HUMAnN2 by the times of embryo implantation failure on 239 infertile patients and 17 healthy women.

Results: Our study revealed a strong positive correlation between Lactobacillus abundance and embryo implantation success (IS) after IVF-ET. The microbial community composition and structure in reproductive tract showed substantially difference between the embryo implantation failure (IF) and healthy control. Moreover, we established a diagnostic model through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) with 0.913 area under curve (AUC) in IS and multiple implantation failures (MIF), verified its effectiveness with an AUC = 0.784 demonstrating microbial community alterations could efficiently discriminate MIF patients. Metagenome functional analyses of vaginal samples from another independent infertile patients after IVF-ET revealed the L-lysine synthesis pathway enriched in IF patients, along with ascended vaginal pH and decreased Lactobacillus abundance.

Conclusions: This study clarifies several independent relationships of bacteria in vagina and endometrial fluid on embryo implantation failure and undoubtedly broadens the understanding about female reproductive health.

Citing Articles

Correlation between uterine microbiota and pregnancy outcomes of embryo transfer in overweight and obese women.

Yan Y, Li Y, Wu L, Zhang Y, Guo H, Ji Y Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025; 15:1515563.

PMID: 39963402 PMC: 11830673. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1515563.

The Role of the Vaginal and Endometrial Microbiomes in Infertility and Their Impact on Pregnancy Outcomes in Light of Recent Literature.

Balla B, Illes A, Tobias B, Piko H, Beke A, Sipos M Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(23).

PMID: 39684937 PMC: 11642076. DOI: 10.3390/ijms252313227.

Methodological approaches in 16S sequencing of female reproductive tract in fertility patients: a review.

Davidson I, Nikbakht E, Haupt L, Ashton K, Dunn P J Assist Reprod Genet. 2024; 42(1):15-37.

PMID: 39433639 PMC: 11805751. DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03292-6.

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