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HIV-associated vaginal microbiome and inflammation predict spontaneous preterm birth in Zambia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8573. [PMID: 35595739 PMCID: PMC9123167 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12424-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A Lactobacillus-deficient, anaerobe-rich vaginal microbiome has been associated with local inflammation and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB), but few studies have assessed this association in the setting of HIV. We performed metagenomic sequencing and inflammatory marker assays on vaginal swabs collected in pregnancy. We grouped samples into 7 metagenomic clusters (mgClust) using the non-redundant VIRGO catalogue, and derived inflammatory scores by factor analysis. Of 221 participants, median Shannon diversity index (SDI) was highest in HIV+ with detectable viral load (1.31, IQR: 0.85–1.66; p < 0.001) and HIV+ with undetectable virus (1.17, IQR: 0.51–1.66; p = 0.01) compared to HIV− (0.74, IQR: 0.35–1.26). Inflammatory scores positively correlated with SDI (+ 0.66, 95%CI 0.28, 1.03; p = 0.001), highest among anaerobe-rich mgClust2–mgClust6. HIV was associated with predominance of anaerobe-rich mgClust5 (17% vs. 6%; p = 0.02) and mgClust6 (27% vs. 11%; p = 0.002). Relative abundance of a novel Gardnerella metagenomic subspecies > 50% predicted sPTB (RR 2.6; 95%CI: 1.1, 6.4) and was higher in HIV+ (23% vs. 10%; p = 0.001). A novel Gardnerella metagenomic subspecies more abundant in women with HIV predicted sPTB. The risk of sPTB among women with HIV may be mediated by the vaginal microbiome and inflammation, suggesting potential targets for prevention.
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Short CES, Quinlan RA, Wang X, Preda VG, Smith A, Marchesi JR, Lee YS, MacIntyre DA, Bennett PR, Taylor GP. Vaginal Microbiota, Genital Inflammation and Extracellular Matrix Remodelling Collagenase: MMP-9 in Pregnant Women With HIV, a Potential Preterm Birth Mechanism Warranting Further Exploration. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:750103. [PMID: 34912728 PMCID: PMC8667959 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.750103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pregnant women living with HIV infection (PWLWH) have elevated rates of preterm birth (PTB) in which HIV and cART are implicated. PWLWH also have a high prevalence of adverse vaginal microbiota, which associate with genital tract inflammation. The mechanism underlying PTB in PWLWH is unknown. We present the first data in PWLWH on genital-tract matrix-metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), an important collagenase implicated in labour onset, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1(TIMP-1) and explore correlations with local inflammation and vaginal bacteria. Material and Methods Cervical vaginal fluid (CVF) collected by a soft cup and high vaginal swabs (HVS) were obtained from PWLWH and HIV uninfected pregnant women (HUPW) at three antenatal time points. Maternal characteristics, combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) exposure, and pregnancy outcome were recorded. Concentrations of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and ten cytokines were measured by immunoassays. Vaginal microbiota composition was determined through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. MMP-9, TIMP-1 and cytokine concentrations were compared by HIV status, cART, and prematurity and in PWLWH correlations with polymorphonuclear leucocytes, cytokines and bacterial genera were explored. Results CVF was available for 50 PWLWH (108 samples) and 12 HUPW (20 samples) between gestation weeks 14-38. Thirty-six PWLWH conceived on cART and 14 initiated post-conception. There were five and one PTB outcomes in PWLWH and HUPW respectively. PWLWH had higher mean CVF concentrations of MMP-9 (p<0.001) and TIMP-1 (p=0.035) in the second trimester compared with HUPW with a similar trend in the third trimester. PWLWH also had higher CVF values of cytokines: IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12 and TNF-α in both trimesters compared to HUPW (p ≤ 0.003). In PWLWH, MMP-9 positively correlated with TIMP-1 (r=0.31, p=0.002) and CVF polymorphonuclear leucocytes (r=0.57, p=0.02). Correlations were observed between MMP-9 and three cytokines: IL-1β (r=0.61), IL-8 (r=0.57) and TNF-α (r=0.64), p<0.001, similarly for TIMP-1. Abundance of anaerobic pathobionts correlated with MMP-9: Gardnerella (r=0.44, p<0.001), Atopobium (r=0.33, p=0.005), and Prevotella genera (r=0.39, p<0.001). Conversely proportion of Lactobacillus genera negatively correlated with MMP-9 (rho=-0.46, p<0.001). MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio increased with gestational age at sampling in PWLWH, but this was no longer significant after adjusting for confounders and no difference by prematurity was observed in this sub-study. Conclusions Here we show strong correlations of MMP-9 to genital tract inflammation and sub-optimal bacterial genera in PWLWH indicating the ascending genital tract infection pathway may be a contributory mechanism to the high risk of PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte-Eve S. Short
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael A. Quinlan
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xuan Wang
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Veronica Georgiana Preda
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ann Smith
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Julian R. Marchesi
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yooni S. Lee
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A. MacIntyre
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip R. Bennett
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham P. Taylor
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre, Division of Development and Reproductive Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Naicker D, Ramsuran V, Naicker M, Dessai F, Giandhari J, Tinarwo P, Abbai N. Strong correlation between urine and vaginal swab samples for bacterial vaginosis. S Afr J Infect Dis 2021; 36:199. [PMID: 34485489 PMCID: PMC8377811 DOI: 10.4102/sajid.v36i1.199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vaginal swabs have been traditionally used for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV). Currently, there are limited studies that have investigated the use of other sample types other than vaginal swabs for the detection of BV from South African populations. This study investigated whether urine can be used for the detection of BV-associated microorganisms in South African pregnant women. Methods One-hundred self-collected vaginal swabs and urine samples were obtained from women presenting for antenatal care at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. The BD MAX™ vaginal panel assay was used for diagnosing BV and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify Gardnerella vaginalis, Prevotella bivia, Atopobium vaginae and Lactobacillus crispatus. The absolute counts were determined on the QX200 Droplet Reader (Bio-Rad) using the QuantaSoft Software. Data analysis was performed with statistical computing software called R, version 3.6.1. Results Median copy numbers obtained for G. vaginalis and P. bivia across urine and swabs in BV-positive samples were not significantly different (p = 0.134 and p = 0.652, respectively). This was confirmed by the correlation analysis that showed a good correlation between the two sample types (G. vaginalis [r = 0.63] and P. bivia [r = 0.50]). However, the data obtained for A. vaginae differed, and a weak correlation between urine and swabs was observed (r = 0.21). Bacterial vaginosis-negative samples had no significant difference in median copy numbers for L. crispatus across the urine and swabs (p = 0.062), and a good correlation between the sample types was noted (r = 0.71). Conclusion This study highlights the appropriateness of urine for the detection of microorganisms associated with BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deshanta Naicker
- School of Clinical Medicine Research Laboratory, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Veron Ramsuran
- KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Meleshni Naicker
- School of Clinical Medicine Research Laboratory, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Fazana Dessai
- School of Clinical Medicine Research Laboratory, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Giandhari
- KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Partson Tinarwo
- Department of Biostatistics, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Nathlee Abbai
- School of Clinical Medicine Research Laboratory, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Schwebke JR, Lensing SY, Lee J, Muzny CA, Pontius A, Woznicki N, Aguin T, Sobel JD. Treatment of Male Sexual Partners of Women With Bacterial Vaginosis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:e672-e679. [PMID: 33383580 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to determine if treatment of male sexual partners of women with recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) with oral metronidazole 2×/day for 7 days (ie, multidose metronidazole) significantly decreased BV recurrence rates in the female. METHODS This was a multicenter, 2-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Women with recurrent BV and current diagnosis of BV by Amsel and Nugent were enrolled. Multidose metronidazole for 7 days was dispensed to women. Male partners were randomized to placebo versus multidose metronidazole for 7 days and asked to refrain from unprotected sex for 14 days. Female follow-up visits were conducted at day 21 and 8 and 16 weeks. Male follow-up visits occurred at days 14-21. BV cure was defined as 0-2 Amsel criteria and Nugent score 0-6 in the female partner with the primary endpoint at 16 weeks. RESULTS 214 couples were enrolled. In the intent-to-treat population, there was no significant difference between treatment arms for the primary outcome. BV treatment failure occurred in 81% and 80% of women in the metronidazole and placebo arms through the third follow-up visit, respectively (P > .999). However, women whose male partners adhered to study medication were less likely to fail treatment (adjusted relative risk, .85; 95% CI, .73-.99; P = .035). This finding persisted in post hoc comparisons in the metronidazole arm. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study did not find that male partner treatment with multidose metronidazole significantly reduces BV recurrence in female partners, although women whose partners adhered to multidose metronidazole were less likely to fail treatment. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION (NCT02209519).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane R Schwebke
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Shelly Y Lensing
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jeannette Lee
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Christina A Muzny
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Angela Pontius
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Nicole Woznicki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Tina Aguin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Jack D Sobel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Foessleitner P, Petricevic L, Boerger I, Steiner I, Kiss H, Rieger A, Touzeau‐Roemer V, Farr A. HIV infection as a risk factor for vaginal dysbiosis, bacterial vaginosis, and candidosis in pregnancy: A matched case-control study. Birth 2021; 48:139-146. [PMID: 33462893 PMCID: PMC8247846 DOI: 10.1111/birt.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the vaginal microbiota of HIV-positive pregnant women relative to HIV-negative controls, and to compare their risk of vaginal dysbiosis, bacterial vaginosis, and vulvovaginal candidosis (VVC). METHODS This is a nested matched case-control study that analyzed data from women who received pregnancy care at our center from 2003 to 2014. Women routinely underwent screening for asymptomatic vaginal infections using phase microscopy on Gram-stained smears. HIV-positive women were assigned to the case group, and HIV-negative women were assigned to the control group. Cases and controls were matched in a 1:4 ratio. Logistic regression was used to test whether HIV infection was associated with vaginal dysbiosis (Nugent score 4-6), BV (Nugent score 7-10), or VVC. RESULTS One hundred and twenty-seven women were assigned to the case group, and 4290 were assigned to the control group (including 508 matched controls). Dysbiosis or BV was found in 29.9% of the cases and 17.6% of the controls. Women in the case group had increased risk of vaginal dysbiosis or BV (odds ratio [OR] 2.09, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-3.32, P = .002). The risk of VVC was also higher in the case group (OR 2.14, 95% CI, 1.22-3.77, P = .008). The incidence of preterm birth did not differ significantly between the groups (cases: 8.7%; controls: 10%, P = .887). CONCLUSIONS HIV-positive women are at risk of vaginal dysbiosis, BV, and VVC during pregnancy. As imbalances of the vaginal microbiota can lead to preterm birth, screening and treatment of HIV-positive pregnant women are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Foessleitner
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Obstetrics and Feto‐maternal MedicineMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Ljubomir Petricevic
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Obstetrics and Feto‐maternal MedicineMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Isabell Boerger
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Obstetrics and Feto‐maternal MedicineMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Irene Steiner
- Center for Medical StatisticsInformatics and Intelligent Systems (IMS)Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Herbert Kiss
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Obstetrics and Feto‐maternal MedicineMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Armin Rieger
- Department of DermatologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Alex Farr
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Obstetrics and Feto‐maternal MedicineMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
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Gudza-Mugabe M, Havyarimana E, Jaumdally S, Garson KL, Lennard K, Tarupiwa A, Mugabe F, Marere T, Mavenyengwa RT, Masson L, Jaspan HB. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Is Associated With Preterm Delivery Independent of Vaginal Microbiota in Pregnant African Women. J Infect Dis 2021; 221:1194-1203. [PMID: 31722395 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During pregnancy, the vaginal microbiota is relatively stable. However, African women have more diverse vaginal microbiota than their European counterparts, in addition to high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence and risk of adverse birth outcomes. Although HIV is associated with alterations in vaginal microbiota and inflammation in nonpregnant women, these relationships are underexplored in pregnant women. METHODS In this study, we characterize the vaginal microbiota and immune factors in pregnant African women who were HIV-uninfected (n = 314) versus HIV-infected (n = 42). Mucosal samples were collected once at the enrollment visit (between 15 and 35 weeks of gestation) and women were followed until delivery. RESULTS Vaginal microbial communities of pregnant women with HIV were significantly more diverse than women without HIV (P = .004), with community structure also differing by HIV status (P = .002, R2 = 0.02). Human immunodeficiency virus infection was also associated with increased risk of preterm birth (PTB) (31% versus 15.3%; P = .066). In a multivariate analysis, HIV infection was independently associated with diverse vaginal community state type (CST)-IVA (P = .005) and CST-IVB (P = .018) as well as PTB (P = .049). No association between HIV status and cytokine concentrations was found. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal studies with accurate gestational age assessment would be important to confirm these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muchaneta Gudza-Mugabe
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Enock Havyarimana
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shameem Jaumdally
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kirsty Lee Garson
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Katie Lennard
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Andrew Tarupiwa
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Tarisai Marere
- College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Lindi Masson
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Heather B Jaspan
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Departments of Pediatrics and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Price JT, Vwalika B, Hobbs M, Nelson JAE, Stringer EM, Zou F, Rittenhouse KJ, Azcarate-Peril A, Kasaro MP, Stringer JSA. Highly diverse anaerobe-predominant vaginal microbiota among HIV-infected pregnant women in Zambia. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223128. [PMID: 31577818 PMCID: PMC6774526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaginal dysbiosis has been shown to increase the risk of some adverse birth outcomes. HIV infection may be associated with shifts in the vaginal microbiome. We characterized microbial communities in vaginal swabs collected between 16–20 gestational weeks in the Zambian Preterm Birth Prevention Study to investigate whether HIV and its treatment alter the microbiome in pregnancy. We quantified relative abundance and diversity of bacterial taxa by whole-genome shotgun sequencing and identified community state types (CST) by hierarchical clustering. Associations between exposures—HIV serostatus (HIV+ vs HIV-) and preconceptional ART (ART+ vs ART-)—and microbiome characteristics were tested with rank-sum, and by linear and logistic regression, accounting for sampling by inverse-probability weighting. Of 261 vaginal swabs, 256 (98%) had evaluable sequences; 98 (38%) were from HIV+ participants, 55 (56%) of whom had preconceptional ART exposure. Major CSTs were dominated by: L. crispatus (CST 1; 17%), L.] iners (CST 3; 32%), Gardnerella vaginalis (CST 4-I; 37%), G. vaginalis & Atopobium vaginae (CST 4-II; 5%), and other mixed anaerobes (CST 4-III; 9%). G. vaginalis was present in 95%; mean relative abundance was higher in HIV+ (0.46±0.29) compared to HIV- participants (0.35±0.33; rank-sum p = .01). Shannon diversity was higher in HIV+/ART+ (coeff 0.17; 95%CI (0.01,0.33), p = .04) and HIV+/ART- (coeff 0.37; 95%CI (0.19,0.55), p < .001) participants compared to HIV-. Anaerobe-dominant CSTs were more prevalent in HIV+/ART+ (63%, AOR 3.11; 95%CI: 1.48,6.55, p = .003) and HIV+/ART- (85%, AOR 7.59; 95%CI (2.80,20.6), p < .001) compared to HIV- (45%). Restricting the comparison to 111 women in either CST 3 (L. iners dominance) or CST 1 (L. crispatus dominance), CST 3 frequency was similar in HIV- (63%) and HIV+/ART- participants (67%, AOR 1.31; 95%CI: (0.25,6.90), p = .7), but higher in HIV+/ART+ (89%, AOR 6.44; 95%CI: (1.12,37.0), p = .04). Pregnant women in Zambia, particularly those with HIV, had diverse anaerobe-dominant vaginal microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan T. Price
- Division of Global Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
- UNC Global Projects Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
- * E-mail:
| | - Bellington Vwalika
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Marcia Hobbs
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Julie A. E. Nelson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth M. Stringer
- Division of Global Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Fei Zou
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Katelyn J. Rittenhouse
- Division of Global Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Andrea Azcarate-Peril
- Microbiome Core Facility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | | | - Jeffrey S. A. Stringer
- Division of Global Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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Cooperative Interactions between Trichomonas vaginalis and Associated Bacteria Enhance Paracellular Permeability of the Cervicovaginal Epithelium by Dysregulating Tight Junctions. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00141-19. [PMID: 30858343 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00141-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection, which is accompanied by a species-diversified vaginal microbiota named community state type IV (CST-IV). Coincidently, CST-IV includes species associated with bacterial vaginosis (e.g. Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, and Prevotella bivia). Both diseases are linked to the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and preterm birth, which complications are likely to result from the disruption of the cervicovaginal epithelial barrier. Here, we show that paracellular permeability of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran through a monolayer of human ectocervical cells (hECs) is increased as a consequence of the activity of T. vaginalis and the aforementioned species of CST-IV bacteria cooperatively. T. vaginalis enhances paracellular permeability of hECs two times more than the individual bacterial species, by up to ∼10% versus ∼5%, respectively. However, any two or all three bacterial species are capable of synergizing this effect. T. vaginalis and the bacteria together increase the paracellular permeability of hECs by ∼50%, which is 5 to 10 times more than the results seen with the protozoan or bacteria alone. This effect is accompanied by enhancement of phosphatase activity, while phosphatase inhibition results in preservation of the integrity of the ectocervical cell monolayer. In addition, these microorganisms induce changes in the expression of tight junction proteins, particularly occludin, and of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Together, our findings establish that cooperative interactions between CST-IV bacteria and T. vaginalis enhance the paracellular permeability of the cervicovaginal epithelium by disturbing the integrity of the tight junction complex. Our study results highlight the importance of understanding the contribution of the vaginal microbiota to trichomoniasis.
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Yeruva T, Lee CH. Regulation of Vaginal Microbiome by Nitric Oxide. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2019; 20:17-31. [PMID: 30727888 DOI: 10.2174/1389201020666190207092850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In this review, the composition and regulation of vaginal microbiome that displays an apparent microbial diversity and interacts with other microbiota in the body are presented. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of vaginal microflora in which lactobacillus species typically dominate has been delineated from the perspective of maintaining gynecologic ecosystem and prevention of onset of bacteriostatic vaginosis (BV) and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) including HIV-1 transmission. The interactions between NO and vaginal microbiome and its influence on the levels of Lactobacillus, hormones and other components are described. The recent progress, such as NO drugs, probiotic Lactobacilli and Lactobacillus microbots, that can be explored to alleviate abnormality of vagina microbiome, is also discussed. An identification of Oral-GI-Vagina axis, as well as the relationship between NO and Lactobacillus regulation in the healthy or pathological status of vagina microbiome, surely offers the advanced drug delivery option against BV or STD including AIDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taj Yeruva
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, 64108, United States
| | - Chi H Lee
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, 64108, United States
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Abstract
: Bacterial vaginosis, characterized by the replacement of the Lactobacillus-dominant microbiota with anaerobic bacteria and facultative Gram-negative rods, has been associated with adverse reproductive health outcomes including HIV acquisition. With the advent of newer molecular techniques, the vaginal microbiota can be investigated in more detail and the association with HIV examined more thoroughly. This review examines recent evidence suggesting that vaginal dysbiosis with increased microbial diversity, specific vaginal bacterial communities, and the presence and concentrations of some individual bacterial species, may increase HIV susceptibility. Potential mechanisms through which vaginal microbiota could impact HIV susceptibility are discussed. On the basis of the available data, this review finds that there is a modest, but growing, body of evidence linking vaginal microbiota to HIV susceptibility in women. The evidence could be strengthened through two main pathways. First, laboratory studies such as ex-vivo or animal experiments are needed to move from plausible mechanisms towards proven mechanisms that explain an effect of the vaginal microbiota on HIV susceptibility. Second, experimental evidence could directly test the hypothesis that sustaining optimal microbiota reduces HIV risk, though there are important obstacles to conducting such studies. Finally, this review examines strong evidence from a recent publication suggesting that deviations from an optimal vaginal microbiome, and particularly the presence of some bacterial communities with high relative abundance of Gardnerella vaginalis, reduces the efficacy of vaginal tenofovir-based microbicides.
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From menarche to menopause: A population-based assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene risk factors for reproductive tract infection symptoms over life stages in rural girls and women in India. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188234. [PMID: 29206842 PMCID: PMC5716553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Women face greater challenges than men in accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources to address their daily needs, and may respond to these challenges by adopting unsafe practices that increase the risk of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). WASH practices may change as women transition through socially-defined life stage experiences, like marriage and pregnancy. Thus, the relationship between WASH practices and RTIs might vary across female reproductive life stages. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between WASH exposures and self-reported RTI symptoms in 3,952 girls and women from two rural districts in India, and tested whether social exposures represented by reproductive life stage was an effect modifier of associations. In fully adjusted models, RTI symptoms were less common in women using a latrine without water for defecation versus open defecation (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.69; Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.48, 0.98) and those walking shorter distances to a bathing location (OR = 0.79, CI = 0.63, 0.99), but there was no association between using a latrine with a water source and RTIs versus open defecation (OR = 1.09; CI = 0.69, 1.72). Unexpectedly, RTI symptoms were more common for women bathing daily with soap (OR = 6.55, CI = 3.60, 11.94) and for women washing their hands after defecation with soap (OR = 10.27; CI = 5.53, 19.08) or ash/soil/mud (OR = 6.02; CI = 3.07, 11.77) versus water only or no hand washing. WASH practices of girls and women varied across reproductive life stages, but the associations between WASH practices and RTI symptoms were not moderated by or confounded by life stage status. This study provides new evidence that WASH access and practices are associated with self-reported reproductive tract infection symptoms in rural Indian girls and women from different reproductive life stages. However, the counterintuitive directions of effect for soap use highlights that causality and mechanisms of effect cannot be inferred from this study design. Future research is needed to understand whether improvements in water and sanitation access could improve the practice of safe hygiene behaviors and reduce the global burden of RTIs in women.
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Daggett GJ, Zhao C, Connor-Stroud F, Oviedo-Moreno P, Moon H, Cho MW, Moench T, Anderson DJ, Villinger F. Comparison of the vaginal environment in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques pre- and post-lactobacillus colonization. J Med Primatol 2017; 46:232-238. [PMID: 28488364 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhesus and cynomologus macaques are valuable animal models for the study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategies. However, for such studies focused on the vaginal route of infection, differences in vaginal environment may have deterministic impact on the outcome of such prevention, providing the rationale for this study. METHODS We tested the vaginal environment of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques longitudinally to characterize the normal microflora based on Nugent scores and pH. This evaluation was extended after colonization of the vaginal space with Lactobacilli in an effort to recreate NHP models representing the healthy human vaginal environment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Nugent scores and pH differed significantly between species, although data from both species were suggestive of stable bacterial vaginosis. Colonization with Lactobacilli was successful in both species leading to lower Nugent score and pH, although rhesus macaques appeared better able to sustain Lactobacillus spp over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Daggett
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Fawn Connor-Stroud
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patricia Oviedo-Moreno
- Division of Pathology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hojin Moon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University Ames, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Michael W Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University Ames, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Deborah J Anderson
- Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Microbiology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francois Villinger
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA, USA
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Rumyantseva T, Shipitsyna E, Guschin A, Unemo M. Evaluation and subsequent optimizations of the quantitative AmpliSens Florocenosis/Bacterial vaginosis-FRT multiplex real-time PCR assay for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. APMIS 2016; 124:1099-1108. [PMID: 27714844 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Traditional microscopy-based methods for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) are underutilized in many settings, and molecular techniques may provide opportunities for rapid, objective, and accurate BV diagnosis. This study evaluated the quantitative AmpliSens Florocenosis/Bacterial vaginosis-FRT multiplex real-time PCR (Florocenosis-BV) assay. Vaginal samples from a previous study including unselected female subjects (n = 163) and using Amsel criteria and 454 pyrosequencing for BV diagnosis were examined with the Florocenosis-BV test and additionally tested for the presence and quantity of Gardnerella vaginalis clades 3 and 4. The Florocenosis-BV assay demonstrated 100% and 98% sensitivity compared with the Amsel criteria and 454 pyrosequencing, respectively, with 91% specificity. The modified Florocenosis-BV assay (detecting also G. vaginalis clades 3 and 4) resulted in 100% sensitivity vs the Amsel criteria and 454 pyrosequencing with specificity of 86% and 88%, respectively. Further optimizations of thresholds for the quantitative parameters used in the kit resulted in 99-100% accuracy vs Amsel criteria and 454 pyrosequencing for selected parameters. The Florocenosis-BV assay is an objective, accurate, sensitive, and specific method for BV diagnosis; however, the performance of the test can be further improved with some minor optimizations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Shipitsyna
- Laboratory of Microbiology, D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and Other STIs, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Magnus Unemo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and Other STIs, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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Kersh EN, Ritter J, Butler K, Ostergaard SD, Hanson D, Ellis S, Zaki S, McNicholl JM. Relationship of Estimated SHIV Acquisition Time Points During the Menstrual Cycle and Thinning of Vaginal Epithelial Layers in Pigtail Macaques. Sex Transm Dis 2016; 42:694-701. [PMID: 26562699 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000000367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV acquisition in the female genital tract remains incompletely understood. Quantitative data on biological HIV risk factors, the influence of reproductive hormones, and infection risk are lacking. We evaluated vaginal epithelial thickness during the menstrual cycle in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina). This model previously revealed increased susceptibility to vaginal infection during and after progesterone-dominated periods in the menstrual cycle. METHODS Nucleated and nonnucleated (superficial) epithelial layers were quantitated throughout the menstrual cycle of 16 macaques. We examined the relationship with previously estimated vaginal SHIVSF162P3 acquisition time points in the cycle of 43 different animals repeatedly exposed to low virus doses. RESULTS In the luteal phase (days 17 to cycle end), the mean vaginal epithelium thinned to 66% of mean follicular thickness (days 1-16; P = 0.007, Mann-Whitney test). Analyzing 4-day segments, the epithelium was thickest on days 9 to 12 and thinned to 31% thereof on days 29 to 32, with reductions of nucleated and nonnucleated layers to 36% and 15% of their previous thickness, respectively. The proportion of animals with estimated SHIV acquisition in each cycle segment correlated with nonnucleated layer thinning (Pearson r = 0.7, P < 0.05, linear regression analysis), but not nucleated layer thinning (Pearson r = 0.6, P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS These data provide a detailed picture of dynamic cycle-related changes in the vaginal epithelium of pigtail macaques. Substantial thinning occurred in the superficial, nonnucleated layer, which maintains the vaginal microbiome. The findings support vaginal tissue architecture as susceptibility factor for infection and contribute to our understanding of innate resistance to SHIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen N Kersh
- From the *National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention and †National Center for Emerging & Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA; and ‡Total Solutions Inc, Atlanta, GA
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15
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Alcendor DJ. Evaluation of Health Disparity in Bacterial Vaginosis and the Implications for HIV-1 Acquisition in African American Women. Am J Reprod Immunol 2016; 76:99-107. [PMID: 26847837 PMCID: PMC4942368 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a health disparity for both bacterial vaginosis (BV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in African American women that may be linked. The evidence that BV predisposes women to higher risk for HIV infection is well documented. The underlying mechanisms to support the epidemiological connections will require further investigations. This review explores the risk factors for BV disease with implications for HIV-1 acquisition in the context of race as a potential driver of the 20-fold increase in HIV-1 acquisition for African American women compared to white women. Specifically, it explores (i) disparities for BV in African American women, (ii) racial disparity for HIV-1 acquisition in African American women, (iii) common factors associated with BV and HIV acquisition in African American women, and (iv) potential mechanisms of the enhancement of HIV-1 transmission by BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald J Alcendor
- Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Meharry Medical College, School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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Mitchell C, Marrazzo J. Bacterial vaginosis and the cervicovaginal immune response. Am J Reprod Immunol 2015; 71:555-63. [PMID: 24832618 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common cause of vaginal discharge in reproductive age women around the world and is associated with several poor reproductive health outcomes, including HIV-1 acquisition. One possible mechanism for this association is the inflammatory immune response induced by BV in the cervical and vaginal mucosae. There is significant heterogeneity in reports of markers of cervicovaginal inflammation in women with BV, likely due to microbial and host diversity, as well as differences in study design. In this article, we review the characteristics of the mucosal immune response in BV, the potential role of lactobacilli in modulating that response, and the impact of individual BV-associated bacterial species on mucosal immunity. We focus on inflammatory markers that are proposed to increase the risk of HIV-1 acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Mitchell
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Kenyon CR, Osbak K, Chico RM. What underpins the decline in syphilis in Southern and Eastern Africa? An exploratory ecological analysis. Int J Infect Dis 2014; 29:54-61. [PMID: 25449236 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2014.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIDS mortality played an important role in the decline in syphilis prevalence in the USA, but its effect on the dramatic reduction in syphilis prevalence in Southern and Eastern Africa has not been explored. In this ecological study, we investigated the extent to which the relationship between syphilis and HIV prevalence at a population level varied between the early and late periods of the HIV epidemic. METHODS We performed linear regression analysis to measure the association between the national prevalence of syphilis and the peak-HIV prevalence in the early and late phases of the HIV epidemic in 11 countries of Southern and Eastern Africa. RESULTS Our analysis showed a strong positive association between peak-HIV prevalence and syphilis prevalence early in the HIV epidemic (R(2)=0.59; p=0.006). Although only of borderline statistical significance, this linear relationship between HIV prevalence and syphilis prevalence switched to a negative direction late in the HIV epidemic (R(2)=0.32; p=0.07). CONCLUSIONS AIDS mortality may have played an important role in the decline in syphilis in this region. Consequently, with AIDS deaths declining in Sub-Saharan Africa, vigilant surveillance of syphilis prevalence will be necessary to detect a potential re-emergence, as has occurred in high-income countries, and to render a timely public health response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Richard Kenyon
- HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7700, South Africa.
| | - Kara Osbak
- HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - R Matthew Chico
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Petrova MI, van den Broek M, Balzarini J, Vanderleyden J, Lebeer S. Vaginal microbiota and its role in HIV transmission and infection. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2014; 37:762-92. [PMID: 23789590 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The urogenital tract appears to be the only niche of the human body that shows clear differences in microbiota between men and women. The female reproductive tract has special features in terms of immunological organization, an epithelial barrier, microbiota, and influence by sex hormones such as estrogen. While the upper genital tract is regarded as free of microorganisms, the vagina is colonized by bacteria dominated by Lactobacillus species, although their numbers vary considerably during life. Bacterial vaginosis is a common pathology characterized by dysbiosis, which increases the susceptibility for HIV infection and transmission. On the other hand, HIV infections are often characterized by a disturbed vaginal microbiota. The endogenous vaginal microbiota may protect against HIV by direct production of antiviral compounds, through blocking of adhesion and transmission by ligands such as lectins, and/or by stimulation of immune responses. The potential role of probiotics in the prevention of HIV infections and associated symptoms, by introducing them to the vaginal and gastrointestinal tract (GIT), is also discussed. Of note, the GIT is a site of considerable HIV replication and CD4(+) T-cell destruction, resulting in both local and systemic inflammation. Finally, genetically engineered lactobacilli show promise as new microbicidal agents against HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya I Petrova
- KU Leuven, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Leuven, Belgium
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Bacterial vaginosis and risk for Trichomonas vaginalis infection: a longitudinal analysis. Sex Transm Dis 2013; 38:882-6. [PMID: 21844747 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0b013e31821f91a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) have been estimated to affect one-quarter to one-third of sexually active women worldwide, and are often found concurrently. Few studies have examined this relationship longitudinally to better understand the direction and temporality of this association. METHODS Between 2005 and 2006, a cohort of 853 young, sexually active women was followed in Mysore, India; participants were interviewed and tested for BV and TV at baseline, and at 3- and 6-month visit. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate how changes in vaginal flora between consecutive visits-as defined by Nugent diagnostic criteria for BV-were related to the risk of TV infection at the latter visit, adjusted for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates. Treatment was offered to women with TV and/or symptomatic BV. RESULTS After adjustment for covariates, participants with abnormal vaginal flora at 2 consecutive visits had 9 times higher risk of TV (95% CI: 4.1, 20.0) at the latter visit, relative to those with persistently normal flora. An increased risk of TV was also observed for participants whose flora status changed from normal to abnormal (adjusted risk ratio: 7.11, 95% CI: 2.8, 18.2) and from abnormal to normal (adjusted risk ratio: 4.50, 95% CI: 1.7, 11.8). CONCLUSIONS Women experiencing abnormal flora during a 3-month span appear to have significantly increased risk of acquiring TV infection. Women of reproductive age in low-resource settings found to have abnormal vaginal flora should be assessed for TV.
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Pendharkar S, Magopane T, Larsson PG, de Bruyn G, Gray GE, Hammarström L, Marcotte H. Identification and characterisation of vaginal lactobacilli from South African women. BMC Infect Dis 2013; 13:43. [PMID: 23351177 PMCID: PMC3600991 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV), which is highly prevalent in the African population, is one of the most common vaginal syndromes affecting women in their reproductive age placing them at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases including infection by human immunodeficiency virus-1. The vaginal microbiota of a healthy woman is often dominated by the species belonging to the genus Lactobacillus namely L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L. jensenii and L. iners, which have been extensively studied in European populations, albeit less so in South African women. In this study, we have therefore identified the vaginal Lactobacillus species in a group of 40 African women from Soweto, a township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods Identification was done by cultivating the lactobacilli on Rogosa agar, de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) and Blood agar plates with 5% horse blood followed by sequencing of the 16S ribosomal DNA. BV was diagnosed on the basis of Nugent scores. Since some of the previous studies have shown that the lack of vaginal hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) producing lactobacilli is associated with bacterial vaginosis, the Lactobacillus isolates were also characterised for their production of H2O2. Results Cultivable Lactobacillus species were identified in 19 out of 21 women without BV, in three out of five women with intermediate microbiota and in eight out of 14 women with BV. We observed that L. crispatus, L. iners, L. jensenii, L. gasseri and L. vaginalis were the predominant species. The presence of L. crispatus was associated with normal vaginal microbiota (P = 0.024). High level of H2O2 producing lactobacilli were more often isolated from women with normal microbiota than from the women with BV, although not to a statistically significant degree (P = 0.064). Conclusion The vaginal Lactobacillus species isolated from the cohort of South African women are similar to those identified in European populations. In accordance with the other published studies, L. crispatus is related to a normal vaginal microbiota. Hydrogen peroxide production was not significantly associated to the BV status which could be attributed to the limited number of samples or to other antimicrobial factors that might be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonal Pendharkar
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
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Spear G, Rothaeulser K, Fritts L, Gillevet PM, Miller CJ. In captive rhesus macaques, cervicovaginal inflammation is common but not associated with the stable polymicrobial microbiome. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52992. [PMID: 23285244 PMCID: PMC3532444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaginal inoculation of rhesus macaques (RM) with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) has been used to study the biology of HIV transmission. Although the results of vaginal SIV transmission experiments could be affected by vaginal inflammation, studies to date have been conducted without regard to levels of pre-existing genital inflammation present in RM. We collected cevicovaginal secretions (CVS) from 33–36 RM during the mid menstrual cycle (day 10–20) at 2 time points approximately 8 months apart and characterized the mRNA and protein levels of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and interferon-stimulated genes. There was extreme variability in the levels of inflammatory mediators (IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, TNF, IL-1b, IP-10, MIG, IL-12 and IL-17). In most animals, the mRNA levels of the inflammatory mediators were similar in the 2 CVS samples collected 8 months apart, suggesting that genital inflammation is stable in a subset of captive female RM. At both time points the cervicovaginal microbiota had low levels of Lactobacillus and was relatively diverse with an average of 13 genera in the samples from the first time point (median 13, range 7–21) and an average of 11.5 genera in the samples from the second time point (median 11, range 5–20). Many of the macaques had similar microbiota in the samples collected 8 months apart. However, we found no correlation between specific bacterial genera and the mRNA or protein levels of the inflammatory mediators in the genital tract of RM in this study. It seems likely that results of published vaginal SIV transmission experiments in RM have been influenced by pre-existing inflammation in the animals used for the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Spear
- Department Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kristina Rothaeulser
- Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Linda Fritts
- Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Patrick M. Gillevet
- Microbiome Analysis Center, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. Miller
- Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Royse KE, Kempf MC, McGwin G, Wilson CM, Tang J, Shrestha S. Toll-like receptor gene variants associated with bacterial vaginosis among HIV-1 infected adolescents. J Reprod Immunol 2012; 96:84-9. [PMID: 23021866 PMCID: PMC3518650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Revised: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal disorder in women of reproductive age, especially among women with HIV-1 infection. Several bacterial products including lipopolysaccharides (LPS), lipoteichoic acids (LTA), and peptidoglycans (PGN) are stimulatory ligands for Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and recent evidence indicates the important role of variation in TLR genes for permitting overgrowth of gram negative and BV-type flora. We assessed whether genetic polymorphisms in five TLR genes (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR6, and TLR9) could be determinants of differential host immune responses to BV in 159 HIV-1-positive African American adolescents enrolled in the Reaching for Excellence in Adolescent Care and Health (REACH) study. BV was assessed biannually and diagnosed either by a Nugent score of at least 7 of 10, or using the Amsel criteria. Cox-proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for concurrent Chlamydia and Gonorrhea infections, douching, and absolute CD4 cell count, were used to identify host genetic factors associated with BV. Two SNPs were associated with BV as diagnosed by the Nugent score and the combined criteria: a minor allele G of rs4986790 (frequency=0.07), which encodes a His to Tyr substitution in TLR4 (HR=1.47, 95% CI 1.15-1.87) and rs187084 (frequency=0.24) on TLR9. The minor allele of rs1898830 (frequency=0.13) was associated with an increased hazard of BV defined by the Amsel criteria (HR=1.86, 95% CI 1.17-2.95). Further studies are warranted to confirm the associations of TLR gene variants and also to understand the underlying pathways and immunogenetic correlates in the context of HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Royse
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Mirjam-Colette Kempf
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Department of Family/ Child Caregiving, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Gerald McGwin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Craig M Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Jianming Tang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Sadeep Shrestha
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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Mukura LR, Ghosh M, Fahey JV, Cu-Uvin S, Wira CR. Genital tract viral load in HIV Type 1-positive women correlates with specific cytokine levels in cervical-vaginal secretions but is not a determinant of infectious virus or anti-HIV activity. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2012; 28:1533-9. [PMID: 22356616 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2011.0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As the AIDS epidemic continues with women being disproportionately affected, it is crucial to understand factors that predict the risk of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission. We investigated whether genital tract viral load (GTVL) in cervical-vaginal lavages (CVL) from HIV-1-positive women with moderately low CD4 T cell counts correlates with cytokine levels, antimicrobial concentrations, and intrinsic anti-HIV activity. CVL were collected from 19 HIV-1-positive women with moderately low CD4 T cell counts [mean 381 cells/mm(3) (227-536 cells/mm(3))]. None of the women was on antiretroviral therapy. The women were categorized into those with detectable GTVL or those with undetectable GTVL (detectable GTVL RNA levels > 400 copies/ml). Women were also categorized according to bacterial vaginosis (BV) status irrespective of GTVL. The TZM-bl assay was used to determine the presence of infectious virus and anti-HIV activity. Significantly higher levels of RANTES, Eotaxin, Fractalkine, IL-1α, IL-6, MCP-1, MIP1β, MIP1α, TNF-α, and GM-CSF were observed in women with detectable GTVL compared to women with undetectable GTVL. No significant differences were observed in the following cytokines and chemokines: G-CSF, IL-1RA, IL-8, and IP-10. GTVL did not correlate either with antimicrobials known to have anti-HIV activity or with the presence of infectious virus. BV status did not have a significant effect on anti-HIV activity. These findings further our understanding of the role of GTVL in determining the cytokine and chemokine milieu in the female reproductive tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy R. Mukura
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Mimi Ghosh
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - John V. Fahey
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Susan Cu-Uvin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine, Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Charles R. Wira
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire
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Imai K, Ochiai K, Okamoto T. Microbial interaction between HIV-1 and anaerobic bacteria producing butyric acid: its potential implication in AIDS progression. Future Virol 2012. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl.12.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Microbial coinfection has great impact on the course of disease progression of HIV-1 and the development of AIDS-related deaths. In fact, progression of AIDS development is more rapid in individuals with concomitant infections. Although it is well known that immunosuppression due to HIV-1 infection leads to AIDS-associated opportunistic infections, it has also become apparent that opportunistic infection often promotes the disease progression of HIV-1 infection by enhancing viral transmission or replication, or by modulating host immune responses. We have focused on such microbial interaction between HIV-1 and butyrate-producing anaerobic bacteria and explored the effects of these bacterial culture supernatants containing butyric acid in upregulating HIV-1 gene expression and thus inducing viral replication from the latently infected cells. Since butyric acid inhibits histone deacetylases, these findings suggest that the HIV latency is maintained in ‘recessive’ chromatin, where histone proteins are largely deacetylated, and that concomitant infection of butyrate-producing bacteria could obviously be a risk factor for HIV-1 reactivation in infected individuals, and might contribute to AIDS progression. Moreover, it is possible that therapeutic elimination of such bacterial infection could conceivably prevent the clinical development of AIDS and its epidemiological transmission. Widespread epidemiological surveys are warranted in order to elucidate the role of concomitant infection of such bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Imai
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Immunology & Pathobiology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan
| | - Kuniyasu Ochiai
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Immunology & Pathobiology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan
| | - Takashi Okamoto
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
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Imai K, Yamada K, Tamura M, Ochiai K, Okamoto T. Reactivation of latent HIV-1 by a wide variety of butyric acid-producing bacteria. Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 69:2583-92. [PMID: 22322557 PMCID: PMC11114855 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-0936-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Revised: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Latently infected cells harbor human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA copies integrated in heterochromatin, allowing persistence of transcriptionally silent proviruses. It is widely accepted that hypoacetylation of histone proteins by histone deacetylases (HDACs) is involved in maintaining the HIV-1 latency by repressing viral transcription. HIV-1 replication can be induced from latently infected cells by environmental factors, such as inflammation and co-infection with other microbes. It is known that a bacterial metabolite butyric acid inhibits catalytic action of HDAC and induces transcription of silenced genes including HIV-1 provirus. There are a number of such bacteria in gut, vaginal, and oral cavities that produce butyric acid during their anaerobic glycolysis. Since these organs are known to be the major site of HIV-1 transmission and its replication, we explored a possibility that explosive viral replication in these organs could be ascribable to butyric acid produced from anaerobic resident bacteria. In this study, we demonstrate that the culture supernatant of various bacteria producing butyric acid could greatly reactivate the latently-infected HIV-1. These bacteria include Fusobacterium nucleatum (commonly present in oral cavity, and gut), Clostridium cochlearium, Eubacterium multiforme (gut), and Anaerococcus tetradius (vagina). We also clarified that butyric acid in these culture supernatants could induce histone acetylation and HIV-1 replication by inhibiting HDAC. Our observations indicate that butyric acid-producing bacteria could be involved in AIDS progression by reactivating the latent HIV provirus and, subsequently, by eliminating such bacterial infection may contribute to the prevention of the AIDS development and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Imai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601 Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Immunology and Pathobiology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310 Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Yamada
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Immunology and Pathobiology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310 Japan
| | - Muneaki Tamura
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Immunology and Pathobiology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310 Japan
| | - Kuniyasu Ochiai
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Immunology and Pathobiology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310 Japan
| | - Takashi Okamoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601 Japan
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Comparative genomic analyses of 17 clinical isolates of Gardnerella vaginalis provide evidence of multiple genetically isolated clades consistent with subspeciation into genovars. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:3922-37. [PMID: 22609915 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00056-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Gardnerella vaginalis is associated with a spectrum of clinical conditions, suggesting high degrees of genetic heterogeneity among stains. Seventeen G. vaginalis isolates were subjected to a battery of comparative genomic analyses to determine their level of relatedness. For each measure, the degree of difference among the G. vaginalis strains was the highest observed among 23 pathogenic bacterial species for which at least eight genomes are available. Genome sizes ranged from 1.491 to 1.716 Mb; GC contents ranged from 41.18% to 43.40%; and the core genome, consisting of only 746 genes, makes up only 51.6% of each strain's genome on average and accounts for only 27% of the species supragenome. Neighbor-grouping analyses, using both distributed gene possession data and core gene allelic data, each identified two major sets of strains, each of which is composed of two groups. Each of the four groups has its own characteristic genome size, GC ratio, and greatly expanded core gene content, making the genomic diversity of each group within the range for other bacterial species. To test whether these 4 groups corresponded to genetically isolated clades, we inferred the phylogeny of each distributed gene that was present in at least two strains and absent in at least two strains; this analysis identified frequent homologous recombination within groups but not between groups or sets. G. vaginalis appears to include four nonrecombining groups/clades of organisms with distinct gene pools and genomic properties, which may confer distinct ecological properties. Consequently, it may be appropriate to treat these four groups as separate species.
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Pregnancy in HIV-positive patients: effects on vaginal flora. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2012; 2012:287849. [PMID: 22675241 PMCID: PMC3362838 DOI: 10.1155/2012/287849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 03/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A high proportion of HIV-infected pregnant women present pathogenic organisms in their lower genital tract. This has been associated with the development of postpartum morbility, HIV transmission to the partner and offspring, and other gynaecological conditions, such as cervical dysplasia or cancer. Vaginal flora alterations can range from 47% in Western countries to 89% in Africa in pregnant HIV-positive patients, much higher than about 20% of the general population. Pathogen organism retrieval is high. As peripartum complications due to vaginal infections seem higher in HIV-positive patients, accurate investigation and treatment of such infections are strongly mandatory.
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Historical perspective of african-based research on HIV-1 transmission through breastfeeding: the Malawi experience. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012. [PMID: 22454353 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-2251-8_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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Bacterial Vaginosis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydial Infection Among Women Attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Possible Causal Links. Ann Epidemiol 2012; 22:213-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2011] [Revised: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 11/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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The natural antimicrobial peptide subtilosin acts synergistically with glycerol monolaurate, lauric arginate, and ε-poly-L-lysine against bacterial vaginosis-associated pathogens but not human lactobacilli. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012; 56:1756-61. [PMID: 22252803 DOI: 10.1128/aac.05861-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Subtilosin is a cyclical antimicrobial peptide produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens that has antimicrobial activity against the bacterial vaginosis-associated human pathogen Gardnerella vaginalis. The ability of subtilosin to inhibit G. vaginalis alone and in combination with the natural antimicrobial agents glycerol monolaurate (Lauricidin), lauric arginate, and ε-poly-L-lysine was tested using a checkerboard approach. Subtilosin was found to act synergistically with all of the chosen antimicrobials. These promising results indicate that lower concentrations of subtilosin in combination with other compounds could effectively be used to inhibit growth of the pathogen, thereby decreasing the risk of developed antimicrobial resistance. This is the first report on the effects of subtilosin combined with other natural antimicrobials against G. vaginalis.
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Maternal vitamin D, folate, and polyunsaturated fatty acid status and bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2011; 2011:216217. [PMID: 22190843 PMCID: PMC3235789 DOI: 10.1155/2011/216217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate associations among serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OH-D), folate, omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio and bacterial vaginosis (BV) during pregnancy. METHODS Biospecimens and data were derived from a random sample (N = 160) of women from the Nashville Birth Cohort. We compared mean plasma nutrient concentrations for women with and without BV during pregnancy (based on Nugent score ≥7) and assessed the odds of BV for those with 25-OH-D <12 ng/mL, folate <5 ug/L, and omega-6/omega-3 ratio >15. RESULTS The mean plasma 25-OH-D was significantly lower among women with BV during pregnancy (18.00±8.14 ng/mL versus 24.34±11.97 ng/mL, P = 0.044). The adjusted odds of BV were significantly increased among pregnant women with 25-OH-D <12 ng/mL (aOR 5.11, 95% CI: 1.19-21.97) and folate <5 ug/L (aOR 7.06, 95% CI: 1.07-54.05). CONCLUSION Vitamin D and folate deficiencies were strongly associated with BV (Nugent score ≥7) during pregnancy.
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32
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Velu PP, Gravett CA, Roberts TK, Wagner TA, Zhang JSF, Rubens CE, Gravett MG, Campbell H, Rudan I. Epidemiology and aetiology of maternal bacterial and viral infections in low- and middle-income countries. J Glob Health 2011; 1:171-88. [PMID: 23198117 PMCID: PMC3484781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries has remained exceedingly high. However, information on bacterial and viral maternal infections, which are important contributors to poor pregnancy outcomes, is sparse and poorly characterised. This review aims to describe the epidemiology and aetiology of bacterial and viral maternal infections in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS A systematic search of published literature was conducted and data on aetiology and epidemiology of maternal infections was extracted from relevant studies for analysis. Searches were conducted in parallel by two reviewers (using OVID) in the following databases: Medline (1950 to 2010), EMBASE (1980 to 2010) and Global Health (1973 to 2010). RESULTS Data from 158 relevant studies was used to characterise the epidemiology of the 10 most extensively reported maternal infections with the following median prevalence rates: Treponema pallidum (2.6%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (1.5%), Chlamydia trachomatis (5.8%), Group B Streptococcus (8.6%), bacterial vaginosis (20.9%), hepatitis B virus (4.3%), hepatitis C virus (1.4%), Cytomegalovirus (95.7% past infection), Rubella (8.9% susceptible) and Herpes simplex (20.7%). Large variations in the prevalence of these infections between countries and regions were noted. CONCLUSION This review confirms the suspected high prevalence of maternal bacterial and viral infections and identifies particular diseases and regions requiring urgent attention in public health policy planning, setting research priorities and donor funding towards reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Palani Velu
- Centre for Population Health Sciences and Global Health Academy, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Joint first or senior authorship
| | - Courtney A. Gravett
- Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Joint first or senior authorship
| | - Tom K. Roberts
- Centre for Population Health Sciences and Global Health Academy, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Thor A. Wagner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jian Shayne F. Zhang
- Centre for Population Health Sciences and Global Health Academy, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Craig E. Rubens
- Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Joint first or senior authorship
| | - Michael G. Gravett
- Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Joint first or senior authorship
| | - Harry Campbell
- Centre for Population Health Sciences and Global Health Academy, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Joint first or senior authorship
| | - Igor Rudan
- Centre for Population Health Sciences and Global Health Academy, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Joint first or senior authorship
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Epidemiology of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection in Rural and Urban Burkina Faso. Sex Transm Dis 2011; 38:117-23. [DOI: 10.1097/olq.0b013e3181f0bef7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Noll KS, Sinko PJ, Chikindas ML. Elucidation of the Molecular Mechanisms of Action of the Natural Antimicrobial Peptide Subtilosin Against the Bacterial Vaginosis-associated Pathogen Gardnerella vaginalis. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2010; 3:41-47. [PMID: 21949544 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-010-9061-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Subtilosin A is a 35-amino acid long cyclical peptide produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens that has potent antimicrobial activity against a variety of human pathogens, including the bacterial vaginosis-related Gardnerella vaginalis. The specific mode of action of subtilosin against G. vaginalis was elucidated by studying its effects on the proton motive force's (PMF) components: transmembrane electric potential (ΔΨ), transmembrane pH gradient (ΔpH), and intracellular ATP levels. The addition of subtilosin to G. vaginalis cells caused an immediate and total depletion of the ΔpH, but had no effect on the ΔΨ. Subtilosin also triggered an instant but partial efflux of intracellular ATP that was twofold higher than that of the positive control bacteriocin, nisin. Taken together, these data suggest that subtilosin inhibits G. vaginalis growth by creating transient pores in the cells' cytoplasmic membrane, leading to an efflux of intracellular ions and ATP and eventually cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Sutyak Noll
- School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 65 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, USA
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Zegels G, Van Raemdonck GA, Tjalma WA, Van Ostade XW. Use of cervicovaginal fluid for the identification of biomarkers for pathologies of the female genital tract. Proteome Sci 2010; 8:63. [PMID: 21143851 PMCID: PMC3016264 DOI: 10.1186/1477-5956-8-63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 12/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervicovaginal fluid has an important function in the homeostasis and immunity of the lower female genital tract. Analysis of the cervicovaginal fluid proteome may therefore yield important information about the pathogenesis of numerous gynecological pathologies. Additionally, cervicovaginal fluid has great potential as a source of biomarkers for these conditions. This review provides a detailed discussion about the human cervicovaginal proteome and the proteomics studies performed to characterize this biological fluid. Furthermore, infection-correlated pathological conditions of the female genital tract are discussed for which cervicovaginal fluid has been used in order to identify potential biomarkers. Recent years, numerous studies have analyzed cervicovaginal fluid samples utilizing antibody-based technologies, such as ELISA or Western blotting, to identify biomarkers for preterm birth, premature preterm rupture of membranes, bacterial vaginosis and cervical cancer. The present article will discuss the importance of proteomic technologies as alternative techniques to gain additional meaningful information about these conditions. In addition, the review focuses on recent proteomic studies on cervicovaginal fluid samples for the identification of potential biomarkers. We conclude that the use of proteomic technology for analysis of human cervicovaginal fluid samples is promising and may lead to the discovery of new biomarkers which can improve disease prevention and therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geert Zegels
- Laboratory of Proteinscience, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Vandermaelen A, Englert Y. Human immunodeficiency virus serodiscordant couples on highly active antiretroviral therapies with undetectable viral load: conception by unprotected sexual intercourse or by assisted reproduction techniques? Hum Reprod 2009; 25:374-9. [PMID: 19945963 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dep412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Until recently, only assisted reproduction was proposed to serodiscordant couples wishing to conceive. Nevertheless, recent publications have proposed unprotected sexual intercourse, targeting fertile days, for couples where antiretroviral treatment has lowered blood viral load to an undetectable level. Available data and the arguments for and against conception by safe sex versus the use of a strategy of unprotected sexual intercourse targeting fertile days are reviewed and analyzed. Although the rate of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in serodiscordant couples in precise conditions (such as an undetectable viral load on treatment by highly active antiretroviral therapies and sexual intercourse limited to the fertile days) is very low, not zero, here we stress the various factors which can increase the risk of seroconversion in this particular population. In this context, it seems less cautious to abandon the recommendations of safe sex in serodiscordant couples desiring a child. The recourse to medically assisted procreation is advised, as long as evidence from further studies does not show that unprotected sexual intercourse, targeted to fertile days, does not have unexpected harmful consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Vandermaelen
- Laboratory for Research on Human Reproduction, Medicine Faculty and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
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Yoshimura K, Yoshimura M, Kobayashi T, Kubo T, Hachisuga T, Kashimura M. Can bacterial vaginosis help to find sexually transmitted diseases, especially chlamydial cervicitis? Int J STD AIDS 2009; 20:108-11. [PMID: 19182056 DOI: 10.1258/ijsa.2008.008249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to establish reliable factors in order to identify chlamydial cervicitis among suspicious patients. Between January and December 2007, 406 patients who were suspected to have cervicitis due to clinical symptoms, were tested with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), vaginal pH and Nugent score (NS) in our University hospital and related clinics. During the same period, 67 patients who were diagnosed as having other sexually transmitted diseases (Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis, Condyloma acuminatum and genital herpes) were also made to participate in this study. Eighty-nine women (22%) were positive for CT PCR. Bacterial vaginosis (BV)-positive women were tested positive for CT PCR (75/288), significantly higher than those without BV (6/66, P = 0.01). In addition, under 20-years old women were positive for CT PCR (24/57), significantly higher than those who were over 30 years old (16/113, P = 0.001). The proportion of patients with high NS (>7) in CT, NG and T. vaginalis cases were 75/89 (84.3%), 22/27 (81.5%) and 11/14 (78.6%), respectively. Whereas the high NS of the C. acuminatum and genital herpes groups were recorded at 7/14 (50%) and 4/12 (33.3%), respectively. Younger women with BV could be at a higher risk for STDs, especially for CT cervicitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Yoshimura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
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St John EP, Zariffard MR, Martinson JA, Simoes JA, Landay AL, Spear GT. Effect of mucosal fluid from women with bacterial vaginosis on HIV trans-infection mediated by dendritic cells. Virology 2009; 385:22-7. [PMID: 19117586 PMCID: PMC2678409 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2008.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2008] [Revised: 07/02/2008] [Accepted: 08/19/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Women with bacterial vaginosis (BV) have a higher risk of HIV transmission but the cause of risk is unknown. Dendritic cells (DC) are implicated in transmission of HIV and we previously observed that DC mature when exposed to mucosal fluid from women with BV. We hypothesized that maturation of DC by BV mucosal fluid would enhance DC-mediated trans-infection of HIV. Monocyte-derived DC (MDDC) were treated with mucosal fluid, incubated with HIV(Bal), and HIV trans-infection was evaluated. While LPS-treated MDDC increased HIV(Bal)trans-infection, BV fluid reduced trans-infection. HIV(Bal) DNA levels in MDDC were not affected by BV fluid or LPS but productive infection of MDDC was decreased by LPS and BV fluid. Mucosal fluid from women with BV does not increase MDDC-mediated trans-infection suggesting that BV does not increase HIV susceptibility by increasing DC-mediated trans-infection. However, indirect effects of DC maturation on HIV transmission cannot be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P St John
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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The human vaginal bacterial biota and bacterial vaginosis. Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis 2009; 2008:750479. [PMID: 19282975 PMCID: PMC2648628 DOI: 10.1155/2008/750479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2008] [Accepted: 11/06/2008] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial biota of the human vagina can have a profound impact on the health of women and their neonates. Changes in the vaginal microbiota have been associated with several adverse health outcomes including premature birth, pelvic inflammatory disease, and acquisition of HIV infection. Cultivation-independent molecular methods have provided new insights regarding bacterial diversity in this important niche, particularly in women with the common condition bacterial vaginosis (BV). PCR methods have shown that women with BV have complex communities of vaginal bacteria that include many fastidious species, particularly from the phyla Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. Healthy women are mostly colonized with lactobacilli such as Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Lactobacillus iners, though a variety of other bacteria may be present. The microbiology of BV is heterogeneous. The presence of Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae coating the vaginal epithelium in some subjects with BV suggests that biofilms may contribute to this condition.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bacterial vaginosis (bv) is a common cause of abnormal or altered vaginal discharge in women of childbearing age. Its association with obstetric and gynecologic complications and HIV are increasingly recognized. Few population-based surveys of BV have been conducted in Africa. The objective of the study was to examine the role of genital infections including Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and demographic factors on the prevalence of BV among pregnant women in Burkina Faso. METHODS Consenting pregnant women from Burkina Faso answered a face-to-face interview on their demographic characteristics. Then, genital and blood swabs were collected and tested for BV and other genital infections. Univariable and multivariable models were used to investigate the risk factors of BV. RESULTS Among the 2133 women included in the analyses (over 2284 enrolled), the prevalence of BV was 6.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.5%-7.6%], ranging from 3% to 12% between regions. In multivariable analyses, HSV-2 [odds ratio (OR), 1.64; 95% CI 1.04-2.59) was the only genital infection that remained significantly associated with BV. Other factors related to BV were history of abortion (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.01-2.43) and geographical origin. HIV infection (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 0.90-5.20) and polygamy (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.00-2.36) tended to be associated with BV without reaching statistical significance. CONCLUSION The prevalence of BV among pregnant women was lower than expected, with large geographical disparities. Our data confirm the potential interaction between BV and HSV-2.
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Changes in vaginal bacterial concentrations with intravaginal metronidazole therapy for bacterial vaginosis as assessed by quantitative PCR. J Clin Microbiol 2009; 47:721-6. [PMID: 19144794 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01384-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Several fastidious bacteria have been associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) using broad-range bacterial PCR methods such as consensus sequence 16S rRNA gene PCR, but their role in BV remains poorly defined. We describe changes in vaginal bacterial concentrations following metronidazole therapy for BV. Vaginal swabs were collected from women with BV diagnosed using Amsel clinical criteria, and vaginal fluid was assessed by Gram stain to generate Nugent scores. Follow-up swabs were collected 1 month after a 5-day course of vaginal 0.75% metronidazole gel and analyzed for 24 subjects with cured BV and 24 subjects with persistent BV. Changes in bacterial concentrations were measured using eight bacterium-specific 16S rRNA gene quantitative PCR assays. DNA from several fastidious BV-associated bacteria (BVAB) were present at high concentrations in the vagina prior to treatment. Successful antibiotic therapy resulted in 3- to 4-log reductions in median bacterial loads of BVAB1 (P=0.02), BVAB2 (P=0.0004), BVAB3 (P=0.03), a Megasphaera-like bacterium (P<0.0001), Atopobium species (P<0.0001), Leptotrichia/Sneathia species (P=0.0002), and Gardnerella vaginalis (P<0.0001). Median posttreatment bacterial levels did not change significantly in subjects with persistent BV except for a decline in levels of BVAB3. The presence or absence of BV is reflected by vaginal concentrations of BV-associated bacteria such as BVAB1, BVAB2, Leptotrichia/Sneathia species, Atopobium species, Gardnerella vaginalis, and a Megasphaera-like bacterium, suggesting that these bacteria play an important role in BV pathogenesis and may be suitable markers of disease and treatment response.
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Spear GT, Sikaroodi M, Zariffard MR, Landay AL, French AL, Gillevet PM. Comparison of the diversity of the vaginal microbiota in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women with or without bacterial vaginosis. J Infect Dis 2008; 198:1131-40. [PMID: 18717638 DOI: 10.1086/591942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with a change in the diversity of genital microbiota in women was investigated. METHODS Amplicon length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) analysis and pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene were used to analyze the diversity of the microbiota in HIV-positive (HIV(+)) and HIV-negative (HIV(-)) women with or without bacterial vaginosis (BV). RESULTS LH-PCR analysis revealed significantly more microbiota diversity in BV-positive (BV(+)) women than in BV-negative (BV(-)) women, but no significant difference was noted between HIV(+) women and HIV(-) women. Pyrosequencing revealed that Lactobacillus organisms constituted a median of 96% of the bacteria in BV(-) women. BV(+) women had a significantly higher number of taxa found at > or =1% of the total genital microbiota (median, 11 taxa). Common taxa in BV(+) women were Prevotella, Megasphaera, Gardnerella, Coriobacterineae, Lachnospira, and Sneathia. There was a trend (P = .07) toward the presence of a higher number of taxa in HIV(+)BV(+) women than in HIV(-)BV(+) women. Propionibacterineae, Citrobacter, and Anaerococcus were the taxa found only in HIV(+) women (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that both LH-PCR analysis and pyrosequencing differentiated microbiota in BV(+) women from that in BV(-) women and that pyrosequencing indicated a trend toward increased diversity in BV(+)HIV(+) women, suggesting that HIV infection is associated with changes in the diversity of genital microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory T Spear
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess and summarize the published literature on the extent to which bacterial vaginosis may increase the risk of HIV acquisition. DESIGN Meta-analysis of published studies. METHODS Medline and other electronic databases were systematically searched for eligible publications. The association between bacterial vaginosis and incident HIV was separately analyzed from that between bacterial vaginosis and prevalent HIV. The latter was further analyzed, stratified by bacterial vaginosis diagnostic method, HIV risk profile of the study population, and whether or not adjusted estimates were presented. RESULTS Twenty-three eligible publications were identified, including a total of 30,739 women. Bacterial vaginosis was associated with an increased risk of HIV acquisition in HIV-incidence studies (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.2, 2.1). All but one of 21 HIV-prevalence studies reported estimates above the null. The latter results were heterogeneous and showed some evidence of funnel plot asymmetry, precluding the estimation of a single summary measure. The association between bacterial vaginosis and HIV in prevalence studies appeared stronger for women without high-risk sexual behavior. CONCLUSION Bacterial vaginosis was consistently associated with an increased risk of HIV infection. High bacterial vaginosis prevalence may result in a high number of HIV infections being attributable to bacterial vaginosis. More prospective studies are needed to accurately evaluate the role of bacterial vaginosis in HIV acquisition in low-risk versus high-risk women. Furthermore, randomized clinical trials may be worth considering to determine the effect of bacterial vaginosis control measures on HIV acquisition.
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Abstract
Women are at significant risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition with the genital mucosa serving as the main portal of infection. Exogenously supplied lactobacillus used as a probiotic may prove a cost-effective, female-initiated method to prevent HIV and STI infection in women. A probiotic may act indirectly through treating and preventing recurrent bacterial vaginosis or directly by secreting endogenous (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) and exogenous substances that block HIV and STI transmission. This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical studies that have been conducted so far to test probiotic bacteria for these purposes. Although significant progress has been made in this field, more fundamental research is required to better understand vaginal ecology to maximize probiotic formulations. Once identified, a suitable product will require testing in a well-designed, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to measure its effectiveness in augmenting antibiotic treatment to prevent bacterial vaginosis. If results from such a trial demonstrate efficacy, future studies should be designed to determine whether a probiotic can significantly lower the risk for HIV and STIs in at-risk female populations.
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Bacterial vaginosis, race, and sexually transmitted infections: does race modify the association? Sex Transm Dis 2008; 35:363-7. [PMID: 18360319 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0b013e31815e4179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are significant racial disparities in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the association of bacterial vaginosis and incident STI is modified by race even after adjustment for sexual practices and other potential confounding variables. METHODS We evaluated the association of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and STI acquisition in a group of 523 women at high risk for unplanned pregnancies and STI. BV was diagnosed by both Gram stain and Amsel criteria. STIs included Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, pelvic inflammatory disease, trichomoniasis, syphilis, and HIV. Cox regression estimated the associations and the synergy index assessed whether race modified the association of BV and incident STI. RESULTS Sixteen percent of participants developed an STI during the 2-year follow-up. Compared with white women without BV at baseline, the adjusted hazard ratios were as follows: white women with BV = 0.59; African American women without BV = 1.96; and African American women with BV = 2.86. The synergy index of 3.38 implies a combined association of BV and African American race with STI in excess of each factor individually. CONCLUSIONS African American race modifies the association of BV and incident STI. Future research should strive to determine the relative contributions of other factors, such as biologic variation, social network or the consequences of socioeconomic position, in this disparity.
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Mitchell CM, Balkus J, Agnew KJ, Cohn S, Luque A, Lawler R, Coombs RW, Hitti JE. Bacterial vaginosis, not HIV, is primarily responsible for increased vaginal concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2008; 24:667-71. [PMID: 18462081 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2007.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The relative effect of HIV-1 infection compared with vaginal infections on vaginal cytokine concentrations is not well characterized. We compared vaginal fluid samples from HIV-1-infected women with those from HIV-negative women, to assess the effect of HIV-1 infection on concentrations of vaginal proinflammatory cytokines and the mucosal defense molecule secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI). Twenty-seven HIV-1-infected women and 54 HIV-negative controls, matched for bacterial vaginosis (BV) status, had proinflammatory cytokine [interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8] and SLPI concentrations measured from archived cervicovaginal lavage and vaginal swab samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Log-transformed concentrations were compared by BV and HIV status in univariate analysis using Student's t-test, and in multivariate analysis using a linear regression model. In univariate analysis there were no significant differences in cytokine concentrations among HIV-1-infected and HIV-negative women. In a multivariable linear regression model, BV was significantly associated with an increase in IL-1 beta (p = 0.003). HIV infection was associated with an increased concentration of SLPI (p = 0.008), while BV status was significantly associated with a decrease in SLPI concentrations (p = 0.005). Neither HIV nor BV was associated with changes in IL-6 or IL-8. HIV does not have a major impact on vaginal concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines when controlling for the presence of bacterial vaginosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Mitchell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Jennifer Balkus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Kathy J. Agnew
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Susan Cohn
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Amneris Luque
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Richard Lawler
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - Robert W. Coombs
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Jane E. Hitti
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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Cole AM, Cole AL. Antimicrobial polypeptides are key anti-HIV-1 effector molecules of cervicovaginal host defense. Am J Reprod Immunol 2008; 59:27-34. [PMID: 18154593 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2007.00561.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucosal surfaces of the cervix and vagina are portals for heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and, therefore, play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of primary infection. Cationic antimicrobial polypeptides including defensins are the principal effector molecules of mucosal innate immunity against microbes and viruses such as HIV. In cervicovaginal secretions, antimicrobial polypeptides constitute the majority of the intrinsic anti-HIV-1 activity, synergism between cationic polypeptides is complex, and full anti-HIV-1 activity involves the complete complement of cationic polypeptides. Periods in which cationic antimicrobial polypeptide expression is reduced are likely associated with increased susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. This review provides an overview of the role of cationic antimicrobial polypeptides in innate cervicovaginal anti-HIV-1 host defense, and discusses how hormones and bacterial infections can regulate their expression. Emphasis is placed on the theta-defensin (retrocyclin) class of anti-HIV-1 peptides and their potential for development as topical microbicides to prevent HIV-1 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Cole
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
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Prevalence and abundance of uncultivated Megasphaera-like bacteria in the human vaginal environment. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 74:1656-9. [PMID: 18203860 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02127-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cultivation-independent analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences in vaginal samples revealed two previously unrecognized, uncultivated Megasphaera-like phylotypes. Phylogenetic analysis and environmental distribution suggest that these Megasphaera types may be unique to the vaginal environment. Quantitative PCR suggests that both phylotypes are present in higher concentrations in women with bacterial vaginosis.
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Rebbapragada A, Kaul R. More than their sum in your parts: the mechanisms that underpin the mutually advantageous relationship between HIV and sexually transmitted infections. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ddmec.2007.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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50
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Spear GT, St John E, Zariffard MR. Bacterial vaginosis and human immunodeficiency virus infection. AIDS Res Ther 2007; 4:25. [PMID: 17953761 PMCID: PMC2164939 DOI: 10.1186/1742-6405-4-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2007] [Accepted: 10/22/2007] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies indicate that bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common alteration of lower genital tract flora in women, is associated with increased susceptibility to HIV infection. Other recent studies show that HIV is detected more frequently and at higher levels in the lower genital tract of HIV-seropositive women with BV. In vitro studies show that genital tract secretions from women with BV or flora associated with BV induce HIV expression in infected cells. The increased HIV expression appears to be due at least in part to activation through Toll-like receptors (TLR), specifically TLR2. Further research is needed to elucidate how BV contributes to HIV acquisition and transmission.
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