Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Maternal-fetal infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, often requiring complex antibiotic treatments due to increasing antibiotic resistance. However, the determinants of resistance in the vaginal microbiome (VMB) remain underexplored. We characterized a cohort of 1547 pregnant women and show that the VMB harbors a wide range of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Genes conferring resistance to Macrolide-Lincosamide-Streptogramin (MLS) and tetracycline antibiotic classes were the most abundant, whereas those from ß-lactam class were the most diverse. ARG diversity was found to be primarily shaped by microbial community state types (CSTs), with CST I ( Lactobacillus crispatus-dominated community ) showing the lowest and CST IV ( anaerobic species-dominated community ) the highest diversity. Co-abundance patterns further revealed modular structures linking specific taxa (e.g., Gardnerella , Prevotella , and Enterobacterales ) to distinct ARGs and mobile genetic element profiles. A novel method incorporating predicted ARGs phenotypes, which we call the Phenotypic Resistance Diversity Index (PRDI), uncovered a resistome signature linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including increased microbial diversity and expanded predicted antibiotic resistance breadth in preterm premature rupture of membranes. Overall, our study establishes the VMB as a structured and dynamic reservoir of ARGs, contributing to the broader human resistome, opening new perspectives for advancing maternal and neonatal care.
Source: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes
Authors: Nassim Boutouchent, Agnes Baud, Asmaa Tazi, Luce Landraud, Claire Poyart, Asmaa Tazi, Céline Plainvert, Luce Landraud, Olivier Clermont, Nathalie Grall, Pierre-Yves Ancel, Laurence Lecomte, Hendy Abdoul, Jessica Rousseau, Laurent Mandelbrot, François Goffinet, Dominique Luton, Pierre-Henri Jarreau, Luc Desfrère, Lahçene Allal, Kenzo-Hugo Hillion, Céline Méhats, Frédéric Batteux, Véronique Tessier, Sinthiya Sivanesan, Hélène Jabbarian, Christophe Pannetier, Laura Lesimple, Laurent Mandelbrot, Claire Poyart, Sean P. Kennedy
Institutions: Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique, Inserm, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Normandie Université, Dynamique Microbienne associée aux Infections Urinaires et Respiratoires, Université de Rouen Normandie, Université de Caen Normandie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Hôpital Cochin, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Institut Cochin, Hôpital Louis-Mourier, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Infection, Anti-microbiens, Modélisation, Evolution, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,290
Funder: Bpifrance
OpenAlex ID: W7208817550
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