Annals of the Russian academy of medical sciencesAnnals of the Russian academy of medical sciencesВестник Российской академии медицинских наук0869-60472414-3545"Paediatrician" Publishers LLC148910.15690/vramn1489OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY: CURRENT ISSUESАКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ВОПРОСЫ АКУШЕРСТВА И ГИНЕКОЛОГИИResearch ArticlePlacental Microbiome: a Paradigm Shift or Flaw in the Methodology?Микробиом плаценты: сдвиг парадигмы или несовершенство методологии?https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2309-360414071984800K-1271-20187660-7068ShipitsynaElena V.ШипицынаЕлена Васильевна
Russian Federation

PhD in Biology

Доктор биологических наук

shipitsyna@inbox.ruD.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and ReproductologyНаучно-исследовательский институт акушерства, гинекологии и репродуктологии им. Д.О. Отта301120217654364481112202006102021Copyright ©; 2021, "Paediatrician" Publishers LLCCopyright ©; 2021, Издательство "Педиатръ"2021"Paediatrician" Publishers LLCИздательство "Педиатръ"https://vestnikramn.spr-journal.ru/jour/article/view/1489

Rapid development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics methods, together with a substantial reduction of their cost, have provided tremendous opportunities for studying the human microbiome. In recent years, much attention has been paid to studies of the microbiome of the upper reproductive tract of woman and the fetoplacental system, which have traditionally been considered sterile. Obtaining irrefutable evidence of the existence of the placental microbiome would enable us to believe with a high degree of certainty that microorganisms colonize the fetus already in the womb, which would have far-reaching consequences not only for medicine, but also for basic biology. This issue triggered a heated discussion among microbiologists, molecular biologists, obstetricians, and neonatologists. In the past few years, a number of studies have been published, both refuting and confirming the dogma, accepted for many decades, that the placenta and fetus are sterile during a healthy pregnancy. This literature review is a critical analysis of the results of studies into the placental microbiome. It provides arguments both for supporters of the hypothesis of the resident microbiota of the placenta and their opponents. Particular attention is paid to the methodological requirements for molecular studies of biological material with low microbial biomass, compliance with which is crucial for obtaining reliable results.

Стремительное развитие технологий высокопроизводительного секвенирования ДНК и методов биоинформатики в совокупности с существенным снижением их стоимости открыло широчайшие возможности изучения микробиома человека. В последние годы много внимания уделяется исследованиям микробиома верхних отделов репродуктивного тракта женщины и фетоплацентарной системы, которые традиционно считались стерильными. Получение неопровержимых доказательств существования микробиома плаценты позволило бы с большой долей уверенности говорить о колонизации плода микроорганизмами еще в утробе матери, что имело бы далеко идущие последствия не только для медицины, но и для фундаментальной биологии. Вопрос этот вызвал бурную дискуссию среди микробиологов, молекулярных биологов, акушеров-гинекологов, неонатологов. В последние несколько лет опубликован целый ряд исследований, как опровергающих, так и подтверждающих существующую в течение многих десятилетий догму о том, что плацента и плод стерильны во время здоровой беременности. Данный обзор литературы представляет критический анализ результатов исследований микробиома плаценты. Приведены аргументы как сторонников гипотезы резидентной микробиоты плаценты, так и их оппонентов. Особое внимание уделено методологическим требованиям к молекулярным исследованиям биологического материала с низкой микробной биомассой, соблюдение которых имеет критическое значение для получения достоверных результатов.

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