Asensio Puig, LauraAndrés Pablo, Álvaro deKhannous Lleiffe, OlfatIbáñez, RaquelAcera Pérez, AmèliaSanjosé Llongueras, Silvia deGabaldón, ToniAlemany, LaiaBruni, LaiaPavón Ribas, Miquel Àngel2024-07-022024-07-022024-05-241422-0067https://hdl.handle.net/2445/214162Recent studies have revealed the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections on the cervicovaginal microbiome; however, few have explored the utility of self-collected specimens (SCS) for microbiome detection, obtained using standardised methods for HPV testing. Here, we present a proof-of-concept analysis utilising Oxford Nanopore sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in paired samples collected either by the patient using an Evalyn Brush or collected by a physician using liquid-based cytology (LBC). We found no significant differences in the alpha-diversity estimates between the SCS and LBC samples. Similarly, when analysing beta-diversity, we observed a close grouping of paired samples, indicating that both collection methods detected the same microbiome features. The identification of genera and Lactobacillus species in each sample allowed for their classification into community state types (CSTs). Notably, paired samples had the same CST, while HPV-positive and -negative samples belonged to distinct CSTs. As previously described in other studies, HPV-positive samples exhibited heightened bacterial diversity, reduced Lactobacillus abundance, and an increase in genera like Sneathia or Dialister. Altogether, this study showed comparable results between the SCS and LBC samples, underscoring the potential of self-sampling for analysing the microbiome composition in cervicovaginal samples initially collected for HPV testing in the context of cervical cancer screening.9 p.application/pdfengcc by (c) Asensio Puig, Laura et al, 2024http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/Papil·lomavirusBacteriologia mèdicaPapillomavirusesMedical bacteriologyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/article2024-07-02info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess38891924