Mishra and colleges from several medical centers in the USA, Italy and India studied the characterization of Changes in Penile Microbiome Following Pediatric Circumcision. While microbiome and host regulation contribute independently to many disease states, it is unclear how circumcision in pediatric population influences subsequent changes in penile microbiome.
They analyzed 11 paired samples, periurethral collection,
before and after circumcision, to generate microbiome and mycobiome profiling.
Sample preparation of 16S ribosomal RNA and internal transcribed spacer
sequencing was adapted from the methods developed by the National Institutes of
Health Human Microbiome Project.
Several notable microbiome and mycobiome compositional differences were observed between pre- and postcircumcision patients. Pairwise comparisons across taxa revealed a significant decrease (p < 0.05, false discovery rate corrected) of microbiome organisms (Clostridiales, Bacteroidales, and Campylobacterales) and mycobiome (Saccharomycetales and Pleosporales) following circumcision. A total of 14 pathways were found to differ in abundance between the pre- and postcircumcision groups (p < 0.005, false discovery rate <0.1 and linear discriminant analysis score >3; five enriched and nine depleted). The pathways reduced after circumcision were mostly involved with amino acid and glucose metabolism, while pathways prior to circumcision were enriched in genetic information processing and transcription processes.
The study found that bacteria and fungi involved in chronic
inflammation appear to be more prevalent in uncircumcised boys. The
investigators concluded that circumcision may reduce the risk of chronic
inflammation of the penis later in life.
The study was published in European Urology Focus on
December 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36566099/