ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Specifics of gut microbiota in women with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage
Medical Academy named after S. I. Georgievsky of Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Lesya N. Gumenyuk
Bul'var Lenina, 5/7, 295006, Simferopol, Republic of Crimea; ur.liam@kuynemyg_aysel
Author contribution: Gumenyuk LN — study idea and design; Bordyugov MD, Sarchuk EV — data collection, analysis and interpretation; Knyazeva SV, Zastavsky VA — statistical data processing; Kritskaya DV, Saytibragimova SE, Kurtvelieva AI — article authoring.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Academy named after S. I. Georgievsky of Vernadsky Crimean Federal University (Minutes № 10 of October 16, 2021); it was planned and conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants of the study signed the voluntary informed consent form.
Currently, researchers show considerable interest in the link between gut microbiota and idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (IRM). This study aimed to analyze taxonomic changes of gut microbiota and assess its relationship with plasma levels of cortisol, melatonin, TNFa and IL17 in women with IRM. We invited 55 women with IRM and 60 women with normal pregnancy, studied their gut microbiota, and registered serum concentrations of cortisol, melatonin, TNFa and IL17. Women with IRM had changed gut microbiota: significantly decreased — diversity (Chao1 p = 0.014), significantly decreased abundance of Bifidobacterium (p < 0.001), Lachnospira (p = 0.032), Roseburia (p = 0.003), Coprococcus (p = 0.012), and significantly increased abundance of Ruminococcus (p < 0.001) and Klebsiella (p = 0.002). We have shown a statistically significant relationship between cortisol level and abundance of Lachnospira (r = –0.51; p = 0.002), melatonin level and abundance of Coprococcus (r = –0.49; p = 0.012), and identified connections between TNF and IL17 concentrations and Chao1 index (r = –0.51; p = 0.002, r = –0.54; p = 0.001, respectively), TNF concentration and abundance of Ruminococcus (r = 0.51; p = 0.002), IL17 concentration and abundance of Bifidobacterium (r = –0.52; p = 0.001). Modulation of gut microbiota may have preventive and therapeutic effects in women with IRM.
Keywords: cortisol, gut microbiota, melatonin, IL17, idiopathic recurrent miscarriage, TNFa