We aim to investigate the role of the Herpesviridae family (HHV) in the onset and progression of prostate cancer (PCa) and to profile the local PCa immunological status. A total of 116 “tru-cut” biopsies (58 PCa and 58 benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH]) and 49 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) instances of PCa were analysed using real-time qPCR and histological examination. Infection with CMV, EBV, HHV6, and HHV7 was detected in 11.5% of the “tru-cut” biopsies (25.9% in BPH and 6.9% in the PCa group). In the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, infection was detected in 69.4% of the patients, with individual rates of EBV (47%), HHV6 (38%), HHV7 (41%), CMV (2.9%), HSV2 (2.9%), and VZV (5.8%). In the HHV-infected PCa cases, the histopathological landscape included intratumor lymphocyte infiltration with fibrosis and necrosis, periductal chronic inflammatory reaction and granulomatous lesions with foci of abscesses and necrosis, as well as inflammatory infiltration, chronic lymphadenitis, prostatic intraepithelial atrophy (PIA), and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN). The majority of HHV-infected PCa patients were predominantly classified as grade G3/G4/G5 tumours, exhibiting perineural, perivascular, and lymphovascular invasion, seminal vesicle invasion, senile vesicle amyloidosis, and lymph node metastasis. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant association between HHV infection and PCa (χ² ≈ 20.3, df = 1, p < 0.0001; Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.0001) with an odds ratio of 6.50 (95% CI: 2.80–15.12). These findings suggest that long-term HHV infection could contribute to a complicated and potentially altered immune PCa tumour environment due to inflammation. This may serve as a predictor of aggressive disease progression.

Aim: We investigated the role of bacterial (Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum/ parvum, Mycoplasma hominis/genitalium, Gardnerella vaginalis) and viral (HSV1/2, EBV, CMV, VZV, HHV6/HHV7, HHV8) pathogens, as a potential cause of reproductive failure in women by testing menstrual tissue samples. Materials and methods: We examined DNA extracted from 180 probands selected on the basis of their infertility background. DNA extraction, real-time qPCR, agarose gel-electrophoresis were applied. Results: In 61,1% of all tested menstrual tissue samples of infertile women bacterial and/ or viral pathogens were detected. In 48,8% of all tested samples we found bacterial, while in 22,2% viral pathogens. Ureaplasma parvum and Gardnerella vaginalis were detected in 61,36% and 69,31%, respectively, while Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in equivalent rate 2,27% of the positive for bacterial pathogens samples. HHV7, EBV, HHV6, CMV, HSV2 were detected in 42,5%, 40%, 10%, 7,5%, 2,5% of the positive for viral factors samples. Variable combinations of bacterial and/or viral co-infection were found in 39,9% of all infected patients. Infections with the rest of target pathogens were not detected in the menstrual tissue samples. Conclusions: Our research offers new approach for noninvasive diagnostics of infections in the upper female genital tract by analyzing menstrual tissue as a target biological sample. The detection of asymptomatic bacterial and viral infections or co-infections in female endometrium contributes to the clarification of the infectious etiology of reproductive failure. It is of a great importance for applying of an adequate and individualized therapy.

We investigate the impact of bacterial (Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum/parvum, Mycomplasma hominis/genitalium, Gardnerella vaginalis) and viral (HSV1/2, EBV, CMV, VZV, HHV6/HHV7, HHV8) pathogens, as a potential cause of reproductive failure in women by analysis of menstrual blood. We analyzed DNA extracted from 48 probands selected on the basis of history of infertility. DNA extraction, Real-time qPCR, gel electrophoresis were applied. In 64.6% of all tested menstrual blood samples of infertile women bacterial and/or viral pathogens were detected. In 41.4% of all tested samples we found bacterial, while in 37.5% viral pathogens. Ureaplasma parvum and Gardnerella vaginalis were detected in 58.3% and 54.2%, respectively, of the positive for bacterial pathogens samples. EBV, HHV7 and HHV6 were detected in 38.9%, 55.6%, and, respectively, 11.1% of the positive for viral pathogens samples. Bacterial and viral co-infection was found in 22.6% of all patients. Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycomplasma hominis/genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, HSV1, HSV2, CMV, VZV and HHV8 were not detected in the menstrual blood samples. Our study offers new approach for diagnostics of infections in the upper female genital tract by analysis of menstrual blood. The opportunity to detect asymptomatic bacterial and viral infections in female endometrium contributes to reveal the cause for sterility. Our work contributes to clarify the infectious etiology of reproductive failure which is of a great importance for individualized therapy.

Aim: To investigate the potential role of the following bacterial/viral panel (Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum/parvum, Mycomplasma hominis/genitalium, Gardnerella vaginalis, HSV1/2, EBV, CMV, VZV, HHV6, HHV7, HHV8) as causative factors for miscarriages in women by testing endometrial biopsies. Anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms causing dysbiosis and endometrial bacterial colonization by unbalanced growth were additionally tested. Materials and methods: In total, 65 patients with a history of early and late miscarriages were analyzed. DNA extractions, real-time qPCR, agarose gel-electrophoresis were applied. Comparative analysis of the current with previously obtained data on the described panel in menstrual tissue samples was performed. Results: In 64,6% of all tested endometrial biopsies bacterial and/or viral pathogens were detected. In 49,23% of all tested samples we found bacterial, while in 15,3% – viral pathogens. These results are similar to our previous data on menstrual tissue samples of infertile women – 61,1% infected, as 48,8% had bacterial and 22,2% had viral pathogens. Gardnerella vaginalis and Ureaplasma parvum were detected in 31,25% and 3,12% of all bacterial infected endometrial biopsies, significantly lower in comparison to the estimated rate of 69,31% and 61,36% on menstrual tissue. Anaerobic and aerobic dysbiosis were detected in 53,33% and 27% of the bacterial infected endometrial samples. In 13,33% a dysbiosis with a mixed etiology was found, while in 7% a dysbiotic condition with a totally absent findings of targeted bacteria and Lactobacillus was observed. EBV, CMV, HHV6 and HHV7 were detected in 30%, 30%, 20% and 20% of the positive for viral factors endometrial biopsies and in 40%, 7,5%, 10% and 42,5% in menstrual tissue samples. In the current study 62,5% bacterial co-infection and 12,5% bacterial/viral co-infection variants were found. Infections with the rest of the target pathogens were not detected in the endometrial biopsies. In contrast to the endometrial biopsy results, Mycomplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and HSV2 were detected in our previous research on menstrual tissue samples. Conclusions: Our research suggests a possible dysbiosis as a consequence of bacterial/viral endometrial colonization, associated with miscarriages. We prove that menstrual tissue, containing parts of the functional endometrial layer, is a reliable and accurate noninvasive sample for infectious screening of the upper genital tract.

This Data Descriptor presents an anonymized, shuffled dataset of creatinine-normalized urinary metabolite measurements from 73 Bulgarian children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), released to support reuse in secondary analyses and cross-cohort comparisons. The public release represents a pathway-oriented 24-marker subset from a broader urinary diagnostic panel, assembled as a self-contained resource for investigators working in these metabolic domains. Spot urine results are provided as individual-level values after creatinine normalization; for trimethylamine, values below the limit of quantification (LOQ) were replaced with LOQ/2. The deposit contains measurements for 24 urinary markers grouped into three functional classes (neurotransmitters and aromatic amino acid precursors; one-carbon/methylation and vitamin-related metabolites; and energy metabolism/organic acids with microbiome-related amines). The underlying cohort comprised children aged 3–13 years, and no contemporaneous neurotypical control group was enrolled. Second-morning, midstream, acid-stabilized spot urine samples were collected within the provider’s workflow; metabolites were measured by LC–MS/MS, and spot urinary creatinine was measured enzymatically for normalization. The release includes the results table in both XLSX and CSV formats, a reference limits and units file for contextual interpretation, a data dictionary, a README, a changelog, and SHA-256 checksums for integrity verification. The public files contain de-identified analytical variables only and omit individual-level demographics, dates, standalone urinary creatinine, and richer clinical metadata to preserve anonymity.