Vaginal Lactobacillus species and inflammatory biomarkers in pregnancy

The role of lactic acid bacteria in maintaining vaginal internal environment homeostasis in patients with infertility

OBJECTIVE

This work aimed to investigate the role of lactic acid bacteria in patients with infertility caused by abnormal vaginal microecology and its related mechanisms and to provide evidence for the treatment of the disease.

METHODS

A total of 100 infertile women with vaginal microecological disorders were selected as the research subjects. According to the treatment method, they were divided into a control group (50 cases of metronidazole) and an experimental group (50 cases of metronidazole + lactic acid bacteria capsules). Changes in vaginal secretions and inflammatory factors before and after treatment were detected, and the therapeutic effects of different treatment methods on vaginal symptoms and infertility were analysed.

RESULTS

the proportion of patients with pH > 4.5 in the two groups after treatment decreased significantly, and the proportion in the experimental group (18%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (44%) (P < 0.01). The proportion of patients with grades II to III in the experimental group (92%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (68%) (P < 0.01). After treatment, the normal lactic acid bacteria count and H2O2 concentrations in the experimental group (80% and 84%) were significantly higher than those in the control group (18% and 62%), and the concentration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), while interleukin-13 (IL-13) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate (96%) and pregnancy rate (26%) of the experimental group were higher than those of the control group (82% and 14%) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

lactic acid bacteria can reduce the vaginal pH value, regulate the H2O2 content and immune factor content, and improve the imbalance of the vaginal microecological environment, thereby increasing the pregnancy rate of patients, so it is of great clinical application value.

Lactobacilli and Cytokine Modifications during Menopause and Their Relation to Vulvar and Vulvovaginal Disorders

OBJECTIVES

Female sexual and reproductive health is heavily influenced by the levels and ratios of Lactobacilli species and vaginal cytokines. Menopause marks a profound body change as it shifts to a natural and permanent non-reproductive state. Vulvovaginal diseases encompass a broad variety of sexual health conditions. Furthermore, both menopause and vulvovaginal diseases affect vaginal Lactobacilli and cytokine levels. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between menopause, vulvovaginal diseases, and vaginal Lactobacilli and cytokine levels.

METHODS

Vaginal swab samples were collected as part of a prospective data bank creation to study vaginal conditions as approved by the Institutional Review Board of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, USA. This study utilized 38 samples in this database, which were assigned to the pre-menopausal with no vulvovaginal conditions (n = 20) and post-menopausal with vulvovaginal conditions (n = 18) groups. A real-time polymerase chain reaction was conducted to determine the relative concentration of Lactobacilli species, while cytokine analysis was performed using multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay immunoassay. The standardized mean difference, multivariate analysis of variance, and permutational unequal variance t test were used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, IL-8, and Lactobacillus iners expression were significantly elevated in the control group compared to the study group (P = 0.03 for the cytokines, P = 0.0194 for Lactobacilli).

CONCLUSIONS

The levels of vaginal cytokine and Lactobacillus profile were significantly different between the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal groups.

Cytokine profiles and Lactobacillus species presence in pre-menopausal subjects with genital Mycoplasma genitalium or Ureaplasma urealyticum colonization

Background and Purpose:

Lactobacilli play a vital role in protecting the vagina against pathogens. Cytokines are vital components of defense against infections in women. The genital mycoplasmas, Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum, are associated with various infectious diseases in adults and infants. The objective of our study is to identify differences in cytokine profile and Lactobacillus species dominance between a study group of non-pregnant pre-menopausal women with genital M. genitalium or U. urealyticum colonization and a control group of non-pregnant pre-menopausal women without genital M. genitalium or U. urealyticum colonization.

Methods:

A real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure Lactobacillus species in vaginal swab samples. Cytokine analysis was performed using multiplex immunoassay techniques. Analysis of variance confirmed a significant difference in cytokine profiles between patient groups, with t-tests identifying the most significantly different cytokines. Categorical data analysis identified significant patterns of relative Lactobacillus species dominance in the study group.

Results:

Lactobacillus iners was the predominant Lactobacillus species in the control group (p = 0.005). There were no dominant Lactobacillus species observed in the study group. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (p = 0.002), interleukin-8 (p = 0.001), and interleukin-1β (p = 0.049) were expressed significantly higher in the study group, whereas interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (p < 0.001), interleukin-10 (p = 0.001), interleukin-12 (p = 0.002), and interferon-γ (p = 0.022) were expressed higher in the control group. Association matrices for cytokines were significantly different between two groups (p < 0.001), with mostly negative associations in the control group and mostly positive associations in the study group.

Conclusion:

Cytokine levels, their associations, and the patterns of Lactobacillus species dominance are observed to significantly diverge on the basis of M. genitalium and U. urealyticum colonization among non-pregnant pre-menopausal women.