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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Female genital tract infections (FGTIs) include vaginal infections (e.g., bacterial vaginosis [BV]), endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease [PID], and chorioamnionitis [amniotic fluid infection]. They commonly occur in women of reproductive age and are strongly associated with multiple adverse health outcomes including increased risk of HIV/sexually transmitted infection acquisition and transmission, infertility, and adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth. These FGTIs are characterized by a disruption of the cervicovaginal microbiota which largely affects host immunity through the loss of protective, lactic acid-producing Lactobacillus spp. and the overgrowth of facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria. Prevotella species (spp.), anaerobic Gram-negative rods, are implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple bacterial FGTIs. Specifically, P. bivia, P. amnii, and P. timonensis have unique virulence factors in this setting, including resistance to antibiotics commonly used in treatment. Additionally, evidence suggests that the presence of Prevotella spp. in untreated BV cases can lead to infections of the upper female genital tract by ascension into the uterus. This narrative review aims to explore the most common Prevotella spp. in FGTIs, highlight their important role in the pathogenesis of FGTIs, and propose future research in this area.

Details

Title
The Role of Prevotella Species in Female Genital Tract Infections
Author
George, Sheridan D 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Van Gerwen, Olivia T 1 ; Chaoling Dong 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sousa, Lúcia G V 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Cerca, Nuno 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Elnaggar, Jacob H 3 ; Taylor, Christopher M 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Muzny, Christina A 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; [email protected] (O.T.V.G.); [email protected] (C.D.); [email protected] (C.A.M.) 
 Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Rosário Oliveira (LIBRO), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; [email protected] (L.G.V.S.); [email protected] (N.C.) 
 Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; [email protected] (J.H.E.); [email protected] (C.M.T.) 
First page
364
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20760817
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3059702966
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.