Metabolic comparison of minimally to noninvasive urogenital sample types for studying gynecologic health: A pilot study

Holly Chatenoud; Paweł Łaniewski; Nichole D. Mahnert; Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.112938

Metabolic comparison of minimally to noninvasive urogenital sample types for studying gynecologic health: A pilot study

Holly Chatenoud
, Paweł Łaniewski
, Nichole D. Mahnert
, Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz

The University of Arizona

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this pilot study, we investigated three minimally to noninvasive biospecimens: cervicovaginal lavages (CVLs), vaginal swabs, and urine, from 18 premenopausal women using untargeted metabolomics to inform future gynecologic research. Metabolic profiles were compared between specimen types and between participants grouped based on vaginal microbiome composition and body mass index (BMI). We identified metabolites altered in the groups in all sample types; however, different metabolites were uniquely detected in each biospecimen. Within CVLs, key amino acid signatures (i.e., polyamines) were identified in women with dysbiosis. While polyamines were also detected in vaginal swabs, this sample type exhibited more lipid signatures. In urine, we specifically detected estrogenic steroids, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and certain drugs. Overall, each urogenital biospecimen type exhibits unique metabolic profiles and, based on metabolic alteration in the context of vaginal microbiome and BMI, can be valuable tools in answering questions related to gynecologic health.

Original language	English
Article number	112938
Journal	iScience
Volume	28
Issue number	7
Early online date	18 Jun 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.112938
Publication status	Published - 18 Jul 2025
Externally published	Yes

Data Availability Statement

Data
• Raw spectral data and the original untargeted global LC-MS/MS metabolomics data obtained from Metabolon, Inc. (Morrisville, NC) for
the de-identified participants have been depositied at ReData: https://
doi.org/10.25422/azu.data.28946582 and are publicly available as of
the date of publication.
• The 16s rRNA gene amplicon sequences have been deposited in the
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database on NCBI
BioProject: PRJNA1193618, and is publicly available as of the date of publication at NCBI BioProject: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/
PRJNA1193618.
Code
• This paper does not report original code.

Keywords

Metabolomics
Microbiome
Women's health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

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10.1016/j.isci.2025.112938Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Metabolic comparison of minimally to noninvasive urogenital sample types for studying gynecologic health: A pilot study",

abstract = "In this pilot study, we investigated three minimally to noninvasive biospecimens: cervicovaginal lavages (CVLs), vaginal swabs, and urine, from 18 premenopausal women using untargeted metabolomics to inform future gynecologic research. Metabolic profiles were compared between specimen types and between participants grouped based on vaginal microbiome composition and body mass index (BMI). We identified metabolites altered in the groups in all sample types; however, different metabolites were uniquely detected in each biospecimen. Within CVLs, key amino acid signatures (i.e., polyamines) were identified in women with dysbiosis. While polyamines were also detected in vaginal swabs, this sample type exhibited more lipid signatures. In urine, we specifically detected estrogenic steroids, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and certain drugs. Overall, each urogenital biospecimen type exhibits unique metabolic profiles and, based on metabolic alteration in the context of vaginal microbiome and BMI, can be valuable tools in answering questions related to gynecologic health.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.isci.2025.112938",

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AU - Łaniewski, Paweł

AU - Mahnert, Nichole D.

AU - Herbst-Kralovetz, Melissa M.

PY - 2025/7/18

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N2 - In this pilot study, we investigated three minimally to noninvasive biospecimens: cervicovaginal lavages (CVLs), vaginal swabs, and urine, from 18 premenopausal women using untargeted metabolomics to inform future gynecologic research. Metabolic profiles were compared between specimen types and between participants grouped based on vaginal microbiome composition and body mass index (BMI). We identified metabolites altered in the groups in all sample types; however, different metabolites were uniquely detected in each biospecimen. Within CVLs, key amino acid signatures (i.e., polyamines) were identified in women with dysbiosis. While polyamines were also detected in vaginal swabs, this sample type exhibited more lipid signatures. In urine, we specifically detected estrogenic steroids, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and certain drugs. Overall, each urogenital biospecimen type exhibits unique metabolic profiles and, based on metabolic alteration in the context of vaginal microbiome and BMI, can be valuable tools in answering questions related to gynecologic health.

AB - In this pilot study, we investigated three minimally to noninvasive biospecimens: cervicovaginal lavages (CVLs), vaginal swabs, and urine, from 18 premenopausal women using untargeted metabolomics to inform future gynecologic research. Metabolic profiles were compared between specimen types and between participants grouped based on vaginal microbiome composition and body mass index (BMI). We identified metabolites altered in the groups in all sample types; however, different metabolites were uniquely detected in each biospecimen. Within CVLs, key amino acid signatures (i.e., polyamines) were identified in women with dysbiosis. While polyamines were also detected in vaginal swabs, this sample type exhibited more lipid signatures. In urine, we specifically detected estrogenic steroids, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and certain drugs. Overall, each urogenital biospecimen type exhibits unique metabolic profiles and, based on metabolic alteration in the context of vaginal microbiome and BMI, can be valuable tools in answering questions related to gynecologic health.

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Metabolic comparison of minimally to noninvasive urogenital sample types for studying gynecologic health: A pilot study

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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