Atopobium

Vaginal Microbiome Role#

HPV and Cervical Cancer#

Enriched in HPV16-positive cervical microbiomes alongside Sneathia, Megasphaera, and Prevotella.^{[3]Yang 2020 — Vaginal Microbiome Alterations in HPV16 Infection by Shotgun MetagenomicsQian Yang, Yaping Wang, Xinyi Wei et al. · 2020Open reference 3 ↓} The sialidase-mediated mucosal degradation may facilitate HPV access to basal epithelial cells.

Preterm Birth#

Elevated vaginal Atopobium is associated with preterm birth risk, likely through mucosal barrier degradation and ascending Metal-Driven Inflammation.^{[4]Pruski & Correia 2021 — Direct On-Swab Metabolic Profiling of Vaginal Microbiome Host Interactions During Pregnancy and Preterm BirthPamela Pruski, Gonçalo D. S. Correia, Holly V. Lewis et al. · 2021Open reference 4 ↓}

Ovarian Cancer#

Part of the dysbiotic vaginal-peritoneal microbiome signature in ovarian cancer.^{[5]Asangba 2023 — Diagnostic and prognostic potential of the microbiome in ovarian cancer treatment responseAsangba AE, Chen J, Goergen KM et al. · 2023Open reference 5 ↓}

Endometriosis—Depletion Pattern#

Like Megasphaera and Gardnerella, Atopobium is depleted in cervical samples of endometriosis patients.^{[6]Ata 2019 — The Endobiota Study: Comparison of Vaginal, Cervical and Gut Microbiota Between Women with Stage 3/4 Endometriosis and Healthy ControlsBaris Ata, Sule Yildiz, Engin Turkgeldi et al. · 2019Open reference 6 ↓[7]Hicks et al. 2025 — Oral, Vaginal, and Stool Microbial Signatures in Patients With Endometriosis as Potential Diagnostic Non-Invasive BiomarkersChloe Hicks, Mathew Leonardi, Xin-Yi Chua et al. · 2025Open reference 7 ↓[8]Ser 2023 — Current Updates on the Role of Microbiome in Endometriosis: A Narrative ReviewHooi-Leng Ser, Siu-Jung Au Yong, Mohamad Nasir Shafiee et al. · 2023Open reference 8 ↓[9]Shen 2022 — Vaginal Microecological Characteristics of Women in Different Physiological and Pathological PeriodsLiping Shen, Wei Zhang, Yi Yuan et al. · 2022Open reference 9 ↓}

This is significant because endometriosis is not simply "vaginal Dysbiosis"—the cervical community shifts away from the BV consortium toward Enterobacteriaceae enrichment, representing a distinct ecological state.

Genital tract studies in endometriosis consistently show reduced Atopobium.^{[10]Hernandes 2020 — Microbiome Profile of Deep Endometriosis Patients: Comparison of Vaginal Fluid, Endometrium and LesionCamila Hernandes, Paola Silveira, Aline Fernanda Rodrigues Sereia et al. · 2020Open reference 10 ↓[11]Miyashira 2022 — The Microbiome and EndometriosisCarlos H Miyashira, Fernanda Reali Oliveira, Marina Paula Andres et al. · 2022Open reference 11 ↓[12]Microbiome of the lower genital tract in Chinese women with endometriosis by 16s-rRNA sequencing technique: a pilot studyChen S, Gu Z, Zhang W et al. · 2020Open reference 12 ↓}

Adenomyosis and Infertility#

Atopobium is part of the altered genital-intestinal microbiota in adenomyosis with associated infertility.^{[13]Ponomaryova 2022 — Changes in microbiota of genital tract and intestines in patients with adenomyosis and infertilityPonomaryova IG, Lisyana TO, Trokhimovych OV et al. · 2022Open reference 13 ↓}

Iron and Lactoferrin Context#

Mucosal Lactoferrin levels modulate Atopobium colonization in the genital tract—lactoferrin's iron-sequestering function creates selective pressure favoring organisms with iron acquisition strategies.^{[2]Roberts 2019 — Mucosal Lactoferrin Response to Genital Tract Infections Is Associated with Iron and Nutritional BiomarkersS. A. Roberts, L. Brabin, S. Diallo et al. · 2019Open reference 2 ↓} Chlamydia co-infection contexts further alter Atopobium dynamics.^{[14]Chen 2021 — Alterations of vaginal microbiota in women with infertility and Chlamydia trachomatis infectionChen H, Wang L, Zhao L et al. · 2021Open reference 14 ↓}

Cross-References#

• Gardnerella—primary BV biofilm partner
• Megasphaera—BV consortium member; co-depleted in endometriosis
• Sneathia—BV consortium member
• Prevotella—BV consortium member
• Endometriosis—depleted in cervical samples
• Lactoferrin—mucosal iron sequestration affects colonization
• Bacterial Vaginosis—hallmark BV organism
• Chlamydia trachomatis—co-infection context alters dynamics