Human Papillomavirus Molecular Prevalence in South China and the Impact on Vaginal Microbiome

Abstract Background Genital HPV infection is a common public health issue that causes a huge burden with potential oncogenicities. The vaginal microbiome (VM) is associated with HPV infection and progression, but a thorough understanding of the relation between different types of HPV infection and VM needs to be elucidated. Methods From August to December 2022, women who underwent routine gynecological examinations were screened for HPV infection. The distribution of HPV variants was recorded, and clinical characteristics were collected. Then, a total of 185 participants were enrolled and divided into HPV-negative (HC), high-risk HPV (H), low-risk HPV (L), and multiple HPV (M) groups. Samples were collected from the mid-vagina and sent for 16S rDNA sequencing (V3-V4 region). Results A total of 712 women were HPV positive, with an average age of 39.34 ±13.3. The top 3 most frequently detected genotypes were HPV52, HPV58, and HPV16. The HPV-positive groups had significantly different diversity compared to the HC group (p=0.001). LEfSe analysis showed that g_Ochrobactrum might be a potential biomarker of the HC group, while g_Lactobacillus and g_Garderella might be that of the H group. L and M groups were characterized by g_Sneathia and g_Prevotella, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that Garderella was enriched in patients with cervical lesions. Conclusion Different HPV infections had distinct vaginal microbiome features. This study might throw light on the association between vaginal microbiome and HPV infection, as well as the mechanisms of different genital HPV acquisition and progression, which may pave the way for novel therapy development.