Trichomonas Vaginalis Inhibits HeLa Cell Growth Through Modulation of Critical Molecules for Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis

The correlation between Trichomonas vaginalis infection and reproductive system cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) is a microaerophilic protozoan parasite which is responsible for trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection in the world. The infection greatly damages the reproductive system. However, whether T. vaginalis infection can cause reproductive system cancer remains controversial.

METHODS

This study systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid and Google scholar, and 144 relevant articles were retrieved and classified into three categories: epidemiological investigations (68), reviews (30) and research articles (46). These three types of articles were verified according to their respective inclusion and exclusion criteria. Stata 16 was used to conduct a meta-analysis on the articles of epidemiological investigations for analysing the correlation between T. vaginalis infection and reproductive system cancer.

RESULTS

The result of meta-analysis indicated that the rate of T. vaginalis infection in the cancer group was significantly higher than that in the non-cancer group (OR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.29-2.71, I² = 52%). Moreover, the cancer rate of the population infected with T. vaginalis was significantly higher than that of the population without T. vaginalis infection (OR = 2.77, 95% CI 2.37-3.25, I² = 31%). The review articles and most research articles stated that the infection of T. vaginalis could lead to cancer and the pathogenic mechanisms were as follows: T. vaginalis promoting inflammatory response, T. vaginalis infection changing the internal environment around parasitic sites and signal transduction pathway, the metabolites secreted by T. vaginalis inducing carcinogenesis and T. vaginalis increasing other pathogenic microbial infection to promote the occurrence of cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirmed that there was a correlation between the infection of T. vaginalis and reproductive system cancer, and provided some possible research directions for clarifying the carcinogenic mechanisms caused by T. vaginalis infection.

Association between trichomoniasis and prostate and bladder diseases: a population-based case–control study

Trichomonas vaginalis infection is one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections in the world. There are approximately 276 million cases worldwide. Most men remain undiagnosed and untreated because they are asymptomatic. The chronic inflammation induced by persistent infection may increase the risk of developing genitourinary cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between trichomoniasis and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PCa), and bladder cancer (BC) in Taiwan. We designed a case–control study by using the database of the National Health Insurance program in Taiwan. We used the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision classifications to classify all the medical conditions in the case and control groups. All odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for all comorbidities and variables. From 2000 to 2015, we enrolled a total of 62,544 individuals as the case group and 187,632 as the control group. Trichomoniasis exposure had a significant association with BPH and PCa (adjusted OR: BPH = 2.685, 95% CI = 1.233–4.286, P = 0.013; PCa = 5.801, 95% CI = 1.296–26.035, P = 0.016). The relative risk was much higher if patients had both trichomoniasis and depression (adjusted OR = 7.682, 95% CI = 5.730–9.451, P < 0.001). Men with trichomoniasis had a significantly higher risk of developing BPH and PCa than those without. Healthcare professionals should not only pay more attention to disease treatment, but also to public health education.

Vaginal Microbiota and Cytokine Microenvironment in HPV Clearance/Persistence in Women Surgically Treated for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: An Observational Prospective Study

High-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPVs) are causally related to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and subsequent cervical cancer (CC). The vaginal microbiome has been suggested to play a role in the development of CC, but the effect of conservative surgical treatment on the microbiome and hrHPV elimination has not been elucidated. In this study, we aimed to characterize the vaginal microbiome and inflammatory chemokine profile in 85 women treated for CIN2-CIN3 lesions, before and after surgical CIN removal. The results showed, as expected, a high prevalence of dysbiotic microbiomes and vaginal pro-inflammatory cytokines in the CIN cohort, correlated with disease severity, at the basal level. By contrast, surgical CIN removal induced significant vaginal microbiome variations, and specific microbiome/cytokine profiles were associated with hrHPV clearance/persistence at 6-month follow-up. hrHPV-cleared patients, in fact, showed a specific increase of L. crispatus and decrease of dysbiosis and inflammatory cytokines compared to hrHPV-persistent patients. These data highlight the crosstalk between HPV and the local microbiome, and suggest that vaginal microbiome modulation might represent a novel approach to modifying the natural history of hrHPV-related CC.

Study registration n. ISRCTN34437150 (https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN34437150).

Association between Trichomonas vaginalis infection and cervical lesions: a population-based, nested case-control study in Taiwan

Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection. According to the 2019 WHO cancer report, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women. However, previous research, which has not included a large-scale study to date, has revealed that Trichomonas vaginalis increases cervical cancer risk. In this study, we investigated a group of Asian females in Taiwan to determine the association between trichomoniasis and the risk of developing cervical lesions, including cancer, neoplasm, and dysplasia. We conducted a nested case-control study by using the National Health Insurance (NHI) program database in Taiwan. The International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision classifications (ICD-9-CM) was used to categorize all of the medical conditions for each patient in the case and control groups. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between trichomoniasis and cervical lesions were estimated using multivariable conditional logistic regression to adjust for all comorbidities and variables. In total, 54,003 individuals were enrolled in the case group and 216,012 were enrolled in the control group. Trichomonas vaginalis exposure had a significant association with cervical lesions (AOR 2.656, 95% CI = 1.411-5.353, p = 0.003), especially cervical cancer (AOR 3.684, 95% CI = 1.622-6.094, p = 0.001). In patients with both trichomoniasis and depression, the relative risk increased 7.480-fold compared to those without trichomoniasis or depression. In conclusion, female patients with Trichomonas vaginalis exposure had a significantly higher risk of developing cervical lesions (especially cervical cancer) than those without exposure.

Exploring the role of oral microorganisms in the pathogenesis of mucositis by assessing their impact on metabolic activity and reproductive capacity of epithelial cells in vitro

Purpose

Clinical and in vitro studies showed selected oral microorganisms to be related to delayed wound healing and ulcerative oral mucositis. However, it is not known whether this effect is due to reduced metabolism and/or the reduced reproductive capacity of epithelial cells. Therefore, we studied the influence of the oral microorganisms Porphyromonas gingivalis, Candida glabrata, and Candida kefyr on cell metabolism and reproductive capacity of oral epithelial cells, aimed to further unravel the pathogenesis of oral mucositis.

Methods

Oral epithelial cells were exposed to different concentrations of P. gingivalis, C. glabrata, and C. kefyr as mono-infections or mixed together. An MTT assay was performed to determine the effect on cell metabolism. A clonogenic assay was used to study the effect on the reproductive capacity of oral epithelial cells.

Results

The metabolism of oral epithelial cells was reduced when the microorganisms were present in high concentrations: P. gingivalis at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1000 and the Candida spp. at MOI 100. No statistical difference was observed in the ability of a single epithelial cell to grow into a colony of cells between control and P. gingivalis, C. glabrata, and C. kefyr, independent of the concentrations and combinations used.

Conclusion

P. gingivalis, C. glabrata, and C. kefyr lowered the metabolic activity of oral epithelial cells in high concentrations, yet they did not influence the reproductive capacity of epithelial cells. Their impact on ulcerative oral mucositis is likely due to an effect on the migration, proliferation, and metabolism of epithelial cells.