**Cervical Cancer**

**Chapter 2**

**Provisional chapter**

**Microenvironment in Vagina as a Key-Player on**

**Microenvironment in Vagina as a Key-Player on** 

**Variants and Vaginal Microbiome as Co-Factors**

**Variants and Vaginal Microbiome as Co-Factors**

Andreia Matos, Alda Pereira da Silva, Rui Medeiros,

Andreia Matos, Alda Pereira da Silva, Rui Medeiros,

Manuel Bicho and Maria Clara Bicho

Manuel Bicho and Maria Clara Bicho

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73108

**Abstract**

cervical cancer

**1. Introduction**

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

**Cervical Cancer: Interaction of Polymorphic Genetic**

Current knowledge point to persistence of risk factors for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The infection with a high-risk oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes, most commonly 16 and 18, is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for development of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and its precancerous precursor, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN). It has been suggested that CIN disease severity and the diversity of vaginal microbiota are associated and this may determine viral persistence and disease behaviour. Our work focuses on the genetic variability associated to the modulation of genotoxicity induced by vaginal microbiota diversity. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms associated with clearance or persistence of HPV infection, therefore we hypothesized that may be under the influence of the genetic background.

**Keywords:** factors of persistence, genetic variation, microbiome, onco-microbiota,

**Cervical Cancer: Interaction of Polymorphic Genetic** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.73108

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution,

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The vaginal microenvironment plays an important role in reproductive health. Human microbiome research has shown commensal bacteria to be a major factor in both wellness and disease pathogenesis. Interest in the microbiome has recently expanded beyond the gut to include a multitude of other organ systems for which the microbiome may have health implications. Here, we review the role of the vaginal microbiome in health and disease, with a particular focus on gynecologic malignancies, specifically cervical cancer. Further research is

**Provisional chapter**

#### **Microenvironment in Vagina as a Key-Player on Cervical Cancer: Interaction of Polymorphic Genetic Variants and Vaginal Microbiome as Co-Factors Cervical Cancer: Interaction of Polymorphic Genetic Variants and Vaginal Microbiome as Co-Factors**

**Microenvironment in Vagina as a Key-Player on** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.73108

Andreia Matos, Alda Pereira da Silva, Rui Medeiros, Manuel Bicho and Maria Clara Bicho Manuel Bicho and Maria Clara Bicho Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Andreia Matos, Alda Pereira da Silva, Rui Medeiros,

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73108

#### **Abstract**

Current knowledge point to persistence of risk factors for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The infection with a high-risk oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes, most commonly 16 and 18, is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for development of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and its precancerous precursor, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN). It has been suggested that CIN disease severity and the diversity of vaginal microbiota are associated and this may determine viral persistence and disease behaviour. Our work focuses on the genetic variability associated to the modulation of genotoxicity induced by vaginal microbiota diversity. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms associated with clearance or persistence of HPV infection, therefore we hypothesized that may be under the influence of the genetic background.

**Keywords:** factors of persistence, genetic variation, microbiome, onco-microbiota, cervical cancer
