Sneathia vaginalis and Sneathia sanguinegens elicit conserved inflammatory responses in a human 3D cervical cell model

Sneathia species are emerging pathogens associated with adverse gynaecologic, obstetric and neonatal sequelae, including bacterial vaginosis, preterm birth, chorioamnionitis, non-gonococcal urethritis and HPV-mediated cervical carcinogenesis. Yet, their pathogenicity is poorly understood due to their fastidious nature. Here, we conducted infection assays using multiple strains of Sneathia vaginalis and Sneathia sanguinegens to evaluate host responses in an in vitro 3D organotypic model of the human cervix. We profiled a broad array of proteins, including antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, growth factors, mucins, matrix metalloproteinases and proteins related to apoptosis and cellular stress. Both Sneathia species induced similar pro-inflammatory signatures. Notably, all strains robustly induced IL-6 and IL-8/CXCL8 ( P from 0.02 to