Meta-Analysis of 16S rRNA Sequencing Reveals Altered Fecal but Not Vaginal Microbial Composition and Function in Women with Endometriosis.

Abstract

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Dysbiosis of the oral-gut axis is related to several extraintestinal inflammatory diseases, including endometriosis. This study aims to assess the microbial landscape and pathogenic potential of distinct biological niches during endometriosis. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: A microbiome meta-analysis was conducted on 182 metagenomic sequences (79 of fecal and 103 of vaginal origin) from women with and without endometriosis. Fecal and vaginal microbial diversity, differential abundance, and functional analysis based on disease status were assessed. Random forest, gradient boosting, and generalized linear modeling were used to predict endometriosis based on differentially enriched bacteria. <i>Results</i>: Only intestinal microbes displayed distinctive taxonomic and functional characteristics in women with endometriosis compared to control women. Taxonomic differences were quantified using the microbial endometriosis index (MEI), which effectively distinguished between individuals with and without the disease. The observed functional enrichment pointed to proinflammatory pathways previously related to endometriosis development. <i>Conclusions</i>: Dysbiosis in the oral-gut microbial community appears to play a prevalent role in endometriosis. Our findings pave the ground for future studies exploring the potential mechanistic involvement of the oral-gut axis in disease pathogenesis.