{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T22:23:38Z","timestamp":1773872618331,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,1]],"date-time":"2025-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754006400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the Science Committee of RA","award":["24ESUq-IMB-0084"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24ESUq-IMB-0084"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study was conducted in Armenia and included 32 pregnant women with TV infection and 30 healthy controls. The vaginal virome includes viruses that infect human cells and unicellular eukaryotes such as Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). Among these are Trichomonas vaginalis viruses (TVVs), double-stranded RNA viruses from the Totiviridae family, and giant DNA viruses that replicate in protozoa. This study investigated the presence of TVVs and giant protozoan viruses in pregnant women with trichomoniasis in Armenia and explored their potential associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vaginal and urethral samples were collected from 32 pregnant women with confirmed TV infection and 30 healthy pregnant controls. TVVs and giant viruses (Marseilleviridae, Mimiviridae, Phycodnaviridae) were detected using qRT-PCR. Viral RNA and DNA were extracted from clinical samples and TV cultures, followed by quantification and gene expression analysis. Selected TVVs were visualized via scanning electron microscopy. All TV-positive women carried at least one TVV strain, with 94% harboring multiple TVV types and TVV4 being the most common. TV infection was significantly associated with preterm birth and premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). Giant viruses were identified in all TV-positive cases but in only 40% of controls. Marseilleviridae gene expression was observed in TV cultures, suggesting possible interactions. These findings highlight a potential role for protozoan viruses in reproductive complications and warrant further investigation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14080764","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T07:45:11Z","timestamp":1754466311000},"page":"764","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Presence of Protozoan Viruses in Vaginal Samples from Pregnant Women and Their Association with Trichomoniasis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3430-884X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gegham","family":"Ghardyan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology N 2, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan 0093, Armenia"},{"name":"Republican Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yerevan 0078, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lusine","family":"Abrahamyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology N 2, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan 0093, Armenia"},{"name":"Republican Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yerevan 0078, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1349-7949","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karen","family":"Julhakyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics Department, St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center, Yerevan 0056, Armenia"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of National Institute of Health After Avdalbekyan, Yerevan 0051, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1046-1607","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hakob","family":"Davtyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, 31 Acharyan Str, Yerevan 0022, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Norayr","family":"Martirosyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, 31 Acharyan Str, Yerevan 0022, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-7101-8177","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elina","family":"Arakelova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, Yerevan 0014, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hranush","family":"Avagyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, Yerevan 0014, Armenia"},{"name":"Experimnetal Laboratory, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan 0093, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3579-0738","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sona","family":"Hakobyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, Yerevan 0014, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tigranuhi","family":"Vardanyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, Yerevan 0014, Armenia"},{"name":"Scientific Center for Risk Assessment and Analysis in Food Safety Area, 107\/2 Masis Highway, Yerevan 0071, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3401-0939","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naira","family":"Karalyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan 0093, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0861-2207","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zaven","family":"Karalyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS RA, Yerevan 0014, Armenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jakobsen, R.R., Haahr, T., Humaidan, P., Jensen, J.S., Kot, W.P., Castro-Mejia, J.L., Deng, L., Leser, T.D., and Nielsen, D.S. 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