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Query: "author" (Ana Nyasha Zimani) .

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1.
Oral microbiome and preterm birth
Marijana Vidmar Šimic, Aleš Maver, Ana  Nyasha Zimani, Keli Hočevar, Borut Peterlin, Tanja Premru-Sršen, 2023, original scientific article

Abstract: Background: The etiology of preterm birth (PTB) is heterogeneous and not yet well known. Maternal periodontal disease has been investigated for decades and is a known risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, no particular bacterial species or higher taxonomic order has been found as causative of PTB, leading to studies of the whole oral microbiome. In order to determine if and how the composition of the oral microbiome is associated with PTB, we performed a large case–control study including women with term (TB) and PTB. Methods: We compared oral microbiomes in PTB to TB, to examine differences in the microbial richness, diversity, and differential abundance of specific taxa. We obtained oral swab samples from 152 Caucasian pregnant women who were classified as either PTB (≤36 6/7 weeks, n = 61) or TB (≥38 0/7 weeks, n = 91) in exclusion of any other major medical or obstetric conditions. The oral microbiomes of these women were characterized by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing of the V3–V4 region on the MiSeq platform. Results: The dominant microorganisms at the phylum level in all pregnant women regardless of birth week outcomes as belonging to Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and Actinobacteria. The phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were relatively more abundant in women with a PTB than in women with a TB, while Proteobacteria was less prevalent in women with a PTB. At the genus level, Veillonella, Prevotella, and Capnocytophaga were enriched in the PTB, and while many of the members of these genera could not be resolved to the species level, Veillonella massillensis was shown to be increased in the PTB group. Conclusion: We identified the genera Veillonella, Prevotella, and Capnocytophaga in the maternal oral microbiome as being associated with PTB independently of clinically apparent infection, uterine anomalies, and other pregnancy complications, including placenta previa, and placental abruption. The clarification of the role of those taxa in the etiology of PTB merits further research.
Keywords: preterm delivery, microbiome, 16S rRNA gene, 16S rDNA, oral microbiome, pregnancy
Published in DiRROS: 01.09.2026; Views: 174; Downloads: 78
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2.
Microbial diversity in drug-naïve Parkinson’s disease patients
Eliša Papić, Valentino Rački, Mario Hero, Ana Nyasha Zimani, Mojca Čižek-Sajko, Gloria Rožmarić, Nada Starčević-Čizmarević, Saša Ostojić, Miljenko Kapović, Goran Hauser, Aleš Maver, Borut Peterlin, Anja Kovanda, Vladimira Vuletić, 2025, original scientific article

Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder characterized by rigidity, bradykinesia and tremor. Several genetic and environmental causes of PD are known, and there is emerging evidence of the possible contribution of the gut microbiome to the disease onset, severity, and response to therapy. While previous research has shown several differences in the microbiome of PD patients under therapy as opposed to healthy controls, few prospective studies have included drug-naïve patients. In order to evaluate the gut microbiome composition prior to therapy initiation, we collected and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the stool samples from 49 drug-naïve PD patients and compared them to 34 diet and lifestyle-matched controls from the Croatian population (GiOPARK Project). While no significant alpha diversity difference was observed between the patients and controls, the differential relative abundance analysis showed an increase in Bacteroides fluxus, B. interstinalis, B. eggerthii, and Dielma fastidiosa in the drug-naïve PD patients compared to controls, while Alistipes, Barnesiella and Dialister spp. were decreased in patients compared to controls. Despite preserved overall diversity, these changes may indicate early microbial dysbiosis and represent a foundation for future studies exploring microbiome changes across disease progression and treatment.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, neurological disorder, gut microbiome, microbial diversity, microbial dysbiosis
Published in DiRROS: 23.02.2026; Views: 648; Downloads: 305
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