Evaluating syndemics: High Burden of Cervico Vaginal and Intestinal Infections, Mucosal Inflammation, and Microbiome Dysbiosis in Peri Urban Amazonian Women
This project investigates how polymicrobial exposures, including cervico vaginal infections and intestinal parasitic infections, shape the cervico vaginal microbiome and local immune environment among women undergoing routine cervical cancer screening in a resource limited Amazonian setting. The study enrolled 353 women aged 30 to 50 years in Iquitos, Peru, who provided cervico vaginal and stool specimens for clinical testing, multiplex cytokine profiling, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the cervico vaginal microbiome. The primary objectives were to characterize microbiome composition and diversity in relation to bacterial vaginosis, human papillomavirus, Trichomonas vaginalis, and intestinal parasites including Giardia, Entamoeba, and soil transmitted helminths, and to define infection specific inflammatory cytokine signatures. By integrating microbiome, immunologic, and epidemiologic data, the project aimed to elucidate how environmental, water and sanitation, and sociodemographic factors interact with infection status to influence womens reproductive tract health in low and middle income country settings.