The vaginal microbiome and preterm birth

The incidence of preterm birth exceeds 10% worldwide. There are significant disparities in the frequency of preterm birth among populations within countries, and women of African ancestry disproportionately bear the burden of risk in the United States. In the present study, we report a community resource that includes 'omics' data from approximately 12,000 samples as part of the integrative Human Microbiome Project. Longitudinal analyses of 16S ribosomal RNA, metagenomic, metatranscriptomic and cytokine profiles from 45 preterm and 90 term birth controls identified harbingers of preterm birth in this cohort of women predominantly of African ancestry. Women who delivered preterm exhibited significantly lower…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 1453658
• BA
  Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: R25GM090084, U54HD080784
• OO
  Office of Research on Women's Health
• NC
  National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• CF
  Common Fund