Microbiota Amniotic Fluid 2019 (MAF2019)

During gestation, the female body undergoes hormonal, immunological, and metabolic changes to support the growth and development of the fetus. In conjunction with the endocrine, metabolic and immune changes, there are noticeable changes in the microbiota at different sites in the body during pregnancy, throat, gut, vagina. Recently, the "sterile womb" paradigm has been challenged because there is experimental evidence that the first contact of the offspring with the microbiota occurs before birth in uncomplicated full-term pregnancies. Establishing a healthy microbiota early in life could be a key element in reducing the burden of disease later in life. It is now known that the environment of a healthy amniotic fluid (AF) is colonized by microbes, which is considered a pre requisite for fetal immune maturation, metabolic and hormonal homeostasisThe objectives of the present project are:- Identification of the presence of microbiota in the AF through the use of innovative sample enrichment methods. As described earlier the AF microbiota is present in limited amounts, the opportunity to concentrate it could allow us to properly assess its presence and composition as well as try to understand its role during pregnancy. In order to understand the role of the microbiota it is also important to understand how it changes during gestation for that reason we would like to evaluate it at the time of amniocentesis and delivery;- possible functional roles of the microbiota, assessment of fetal immune tolerance toward commensals. Analyzing the response of cells of innate immunity in response to commensals found by meta-genomic analysis;- Identifying its variation under conditions of gestational diabetes.