Evidence of Bacterial DNA Presence in Chorionic Villi and Amniotic Fluid in the First and Second Trimester of Pregnancy
Giuseppina Campisciano, Mariachiara Quadrifoglio, Manola Comar, Francesco De Seta, Nunzia Zanotta, Chiara Ottaviani, Moira Barbieri, Antonella Chiodo, Tamara Stampalija
Abstract
The sterile-womb dogma in uncomplicated pregnancy has been lively debated. Data regarding the in utero microbiome environment are based mainly on studies performed at the time of delivery. Aim: To determine whether human placenta and amniotic fluid are populated by a bacterial microbiota in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Materials & methods: We analyzed by next-generation sequencing method 24 and 29 samples from chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis (AC), respectively. The V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced. Results: 37.5% of CVS and 14% of AC samples showed the presence of bacterial DNA. Conclusion: Our study suggests that bacterial DNA can be identified in the placenta and amniotic fluid during early prenatal life.