Abstract

Sneathia is an emerging pathogen implicated in adverse reproductive and perinatal outcomes. Although scarce, recent data suggest that vaginally residing Sneathia becomes pathogenic following its ascension into the upper urogenital tract, amniotic fluid, placenta, and foetal membranes. The role of Sneathia in women’s health and disease is generally underappreciated because the cultivation of these bacteria is limited by their complex nutritional requirements, slow growth patterns, and anaerobic nature. For this reason, molecular methods are typically required for the detection and differential diagnosis of Sneathia infections. Here, we review the laboratory methods used for the diagnosis of Sneathia infections, the molecular mechanisms underlying its virulence, and its sensitivity to antibiotics. We further review the evidence of Sneathia’s contributions to the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis, chorioamnionitis, preterm prelabour rupture of membranes, spontaneous preterm labour, stillbirth, maternal and neonatal sepsis, HIV infection, and cervical cancer. Collectively, growing evidence indicates that Sneathia represents an important yet underappreciated pathogen affecting the development and progression of several adverse clinical conditions diagnosed in pregnant women and their neonates, as well as in non-pregnant women.

摘要

Sneathia是一种新出现的病原体，与不利的生殖和围产期结局有关。尽管很少，但最近的数据表明，阴道寄居的 Sneathia在其上升到上泌尿生殖道、羊水、胎盘和胎膜后变得致病。的作用Sneathia妇女的健康和疾病一般是因为低估这些细菌的培养是通过其复杂的营养需求，缓慢增长模式和厌氧性质的限制。因此，通常需要分子方法来检测和鉴别诊断Sneathia感染。在这里，我们回顾了用于诊断Sneathia的实验室方法感染、其毒力的分子机制及其对抗生素的敏感性。我们进一步审查了Sneathia对细菌性阴道病、绒毛膜羊膜炎、早产胎膜早破、自发性早产、死产、母婴败血症、HIV 感染和宫颈癌发病机制的贡献的证据。总的来说，越来越多的证据表明Sneathia是一种重要但未被充分认识的病原体，它会影响孕妇及其新生儿以及非孕妇中诊断出的几种不良临床状况的发展和进展。