Microbiome and Microbiota

The microbiota represents the totality of the bacterial population inside and outside the human body and acts like a kind of ‘additional organ’ that is essential for proper metabolic functioning. If the balanced condition of the microbiota (eubiosis) is disturbed, the consequences can be extremely serious. This explains the growing interest in the study of the microbiome and its microbiota. 


What is meant by Microbiome and Microbiota?

The microbiota is the set of symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms that colonise an environment at any given time.
The microbiome is the totality of the genetic heritage of the microbiota.

The Gut Microbiota

The scientific community’s growing interest in the Gut Microbiota is due to the important role it plays in maintaining human health, as well as in the etiopathogenesis of diseases resulting from its alteration. Every day we see the terms Microbiota and Microbiome being used, often improperly. These terms refer to the whole population of several billion microorganisms, consisting of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa in the gut. Their number is estimated to be 10 times the number of cells in the entire body. There are at least 500 different species. They can be divided into non-pathogenic and pathogenic. The prevalence of non-pathogenic species is called Eubiosis, literally ‘beneficial to the organism’, while Dysbiosis refers to an alteration of the intestinal bacterial flora due to an increase in pathogenic strains and a decrease in healthy ones.

  • It acts as a defensive barrier, creating an environment inhospitable to pathogens, modifying the intestinal pH and reducing the substrates that promote
    their proliferation;
  • it participates in digestive processes;
  • it regulates metabolism;
  • and it participates in the synthesis of vitamins.
  • It acts as a defensive barrier, creating an environment inhospitable to pathogens, modifying the intestinal pH and reducing the substrates that promote
    their proliferation;
  • it participates in digestive processes;
  • it regulates metabolism;
  • and it participates in the synthesis of vitamins.

How are SNPs investigated?

Through molecular biology examinations on the affected gene sequences. Tests are performed on a simple buccal swab or a venous blood draw.

Why is it important to take the test?

The response to drugs can differ from person to person, as can the occurrence of different side effects. Each person is characterised by a unique and personal genetic make-up that influences the effectiveness of the drug but also the safety of its use. In two different persons, a drug, even if administered at the same dosage, may be more or less effective and may be responsible for the appearance of more or fewer side effects. Drugs are metabolised by the body by different enzymes. Innovative drug therapies consist in ensuring that a drug remains active in the body long enough to be effective without causing side effects. The possible presence of gene variants can help identify:
  • subjects who may develop any adverse reactions, on a metabolic basis, to drugs;
  • patients who are ‘responders’ and not ‘responders’ to drugs;
  • the right dosage of a drug for each patient.
This information makes it possible to establish personalised therapies (Genomics and Personalised Medicine).

What variants are being analysed?

Variants are investigated in genes coding for proteins involved in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (pharmacokinetics) and in those coding for the primary therapeutic target, such as receptors, ion channels, enzymes, etc. (pharmacodynamics). Pharmacogenetic tests also make it possible to determine whether these variants are present in heterozygosity (present in only one copy of the gene) or in homozygosity (present in both copies of the same gene), a characteristic that is capable of influencing both individual response and reaction to the drug.

The vaginal microbiota

The vaginal microbiota is the set of bacterial species present in the vagina, which is a highly dynamic environment that varies throughout a woman’s life. The composition of the vaginal microbiota is influenced by genetic and environmental factors (hormonal fluctuations, intimate hygiene, use of antibiotics, diet, smoking, etc.) and varies in relation to the physiological phases of each woman’s life.

With puberty, lactobacilli become the predominant vaginal microorganisms (up to 90% of the total microbiome), and by transforming glycogen into lactic acid, they maintain an acidic vaginal pH that hinders the colonisation and proliferation of other pathogenic microorganisms.
Particularly important is the role of the vaginal microbiota at the time of conception, during pregnancy and childbirth. 

But what happens when the vaginal microbiota is out of balance?
When pathogenic microorganisms take over from the normal flora dominated by lactobacilli, a state of imbalance or dysbiosis occurs, which makes it easier for vaginal infections to occur. When there is a change in the proportion of microorganisms that are normally present in the vagina, we call this vaginosis. Infection, on the other hand, is called vaginitis and can be caused either by the arrival of foreign germs or by the advent of normally present microorganisms such as Candida.

Vaginitis can also be caused by microorganisms that are normally present in the intestine, such as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, but which become pathogenic if they change their location. For example, due to constipation or irritable bowel, these microorganisms can cross the intestinal walls and colonise the vagina, causing inflammation and often anticipating cystitis.
The invasion of external germs contracted through sexual intercourse can also cause vaginitis; in particular, in this case, we speak of sexually transmitted diseases: these are particularly aggressive bacterial or viral micro-organisms with longer or shorter incubation times.

Why undergo an analysis of the vaginal microbiota?

  • Approximately 20–30% of women suffer from vaginal dysbiosis at least once in their lives, usually secondary to lactobacillus deficiency;
  • Vaginal dysbiosis  is one of the most important risk factors for serious vaginal infections but is also related to problems with conception, unsafe pregnancy, risk of preterm delivery and perinatal complications;
  • There is a strong microbiome-immunity interaction that plays an important role in chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, miscarriage, pregnancy, and menopause;
  • It provides an alternative and personalised therapeutic perspective to promote, support and improve women’s health at different stages of their lives.

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