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Graziottin A, Di Simone N, Guarano A. Postpartum care: Clinical considerations for improving genital and sexual health. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2024; 296:250-257. [PMID: 38484617 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2024.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The postpartum period encompasses the biological and psychoaffective transition to motherhood. However, it remains a most neglected phase in a woman's life. Furthermore, the transition to parenthood is a critical and potentially disrupting factor in a couple's relationship, which can be complicated by undiagnosed biological and psychosexual difficulties. Lack of recognition of the many biological and medical factors that can affect women's health and sexuality in the postpartum period is a common and persistent clinical omission worldwide. Communication difficulties exist between healthcare professionals and women and there are wording biases in describing female genitalia. This can further contribute to the diagnostic lack of attention and timely diagnosis and treatment of even very bothersome symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment of common postpartum conditions is vital and quality care for new mothers should include psychological and emotional support, lactation assistance, early diagnosis and treatment of genital and sexual pain symptoms, pelvic floor rehabilitation and sexual health guidance. The inclusion of correct genital hygiene practices is a critical element of postpartum gynaecological counselling and can help improve overall genital and sexual health. In this review, we summarise the variability in global professional guidelines for postpartum care, identify common health problems faced by postpartum women and discuss appropriate postpartum care. We pay specific attention to prominent biological or medical factors that can impact the emotional and psychosexual wellbeing of women and couples. The aetiology, diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction, in particular sexual pain disorders, is therefore discussed with a pragmatic approach. Finally, the role of intimate hygiene care is discussed with special attention given to cleanser ingredients with solid scientific evidence to help clinicians adopt a more tailored approach with their clinical recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Graziottin
- Centre of Gynaecology and Medical Sexology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, San Raffaele Resnati Hospital, 20122 Milan, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy; Specialty School, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Department, Federico II University, 80131 Naples, Italy; Alessandra Graziottin Foundation for the Cure and Care of Pain in Women, NPO, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Di Simone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Alice Guarano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20072 Milan, Italy.
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Tibbs-Cortes BW, Rahic-Seggerman FM, Schmitz-Esser S, Boggiatto PM, Olsen S, Putz EJ. Fecal and vaginal microbiota of vaccinated and non-vaccinated pregnant elk challenged with Brucella abortus. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1334858. [PMID: 38352039 PMCID: PMC10861794 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1334858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Brucella abortus is the causative agent of brucellosis in cattle and in humans, resulting in economic losses in the agricultural sector and representing a major threat to public health. Elk populations in the American Northwest are reservoirs for this bacterium and transmit the agent to domestic cattle herds. One potential strategy to mitigate the transmission of brucellosis by elk is vaccination of elk populations against B. abortus; however, elk appear to be immunologically distinct from cattle in their responses to current vaccination strategies. The differences in host response to B. abortus between cattle and elk could be attributed to differences between the cattle and elk innate and adaptive immune responses. Because species-specific interactions between the host microbiome and the immune system are also known to affect immunity, we sought to investigate interactions between the elk microbiome and B. abortus infection and vaccination. Methods We analyzed the fecal and vaginal microbial communities of B. abortus-vaccinated and unvaccinated elk which were challenged with B. abortus during the periparturient period. Results We observed that the elk fecal and vaginal microbiota are similar to those of other ruminants, and these microbial communities were affected both by time of sampling and by vaccination status. Notably, we observed that taxa representing ruminant reproductive tract pathogens tended to increase in abundance in the elk vaginal microbiome following parturition. Furthermore, many of these taxa differed significantly in abundance depending on vaccination status, indicating that vaccination against B. abortus affects the elk vaginal microbiota with potential implications for animal reproductive health. Discussion This study is the first to analyze the vaginal microbiota of any species of the genus Cervus and is also the first to assess the effects of B. abortus vaccination and challenge on the vaginal microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bienvenido W. Tibbs-Cortes
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Faith M. Rahic-Seggerman
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Stephan Schmitz-Esser
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Paola M. Boggiatto
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Steven Olsen
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ellie J. Putz
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
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Costa NS, Oliveira LMA, Rio-Tinto A, Pinto IBF, Oliveira AEAS, Santana JDD, Santos LF, Costa RSN, Marinho PS, Fracalanzza SEL, Teixeira LM, Pinto TCA. Anovaginal Colonization by Group B Streptococcus and Streptococcus anginosus among Pregnant Women in Brazil and Its Association with Clinical Features. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:85. [PMID: 38247643 PMCID: PMC10812730 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus; GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal invasive disease worldwide. GBS can colonize the human gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, and the anovaginal colonization of pregnant women is the main source for neonatal infection. Streptococcus anginosus, in turn, can colonize the human upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts but has rarely been observed causing disease. However, in the last years, S. anginosus has been increasingly associated with human infections, mainly in the bloodstream and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Although anovaginal screening for GBS is common during pregnancy, data regarding the anovaginal colonization of pregnant women by S. anginosus are still scarce. Here, we show that during the assessment of anovaginal GBS colonization rates among pregnant women living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, S. anginosus was also commonly detected, and S. anginosus isolates presented a similar colony morphology and color pattern to GBS in chromogenic media. GBS was detected in 48 (12%) while S. anginosus was detected in 17 (4.3%) of the 399 anovaginal samples analyzed. The use of antibiotics during pregnancy and history of urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections were associated with the presence of S. anginosus. In turn, previous preterm birth was associated with the presence of GBS (p < 0.05). The correlation of GBS and S. anginosus with relevant clinical features of pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, highlights the need for the further investigation of these important bacteria in relation to this special population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Silva Costa
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Laura Maria Andrade Oliveira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Andre Rio-Tinto
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Isabella Bittencourt Ferreira Pinto
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Ana Elisa Almeida Santos Oliveira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Julia de Deus Santana
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Laiane Ferreira Santos
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Rayssa Santos Nogueira Costa
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Penelope Saldanha Marinho
- Faculdade de Medicina, Maternidade Escola, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22240-000, Brazil;
| | - Sergio Eduardo Longo Fracalanzza
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Lucia Martins Teixeira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
| | - Tatiana Castro Abreu Pinto
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (N.S.C.); (L.M.A.O.); (A.R.-T.); (I.B.F.P.); (A.E.A.S.O.); (J.d.D.S.); (L.F.S.); (R.S.N.C.); (S.E.L.F.); (L.M.T.)
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Koren O, Konnikova L, Brodin P, Mysorekar IU, Collado MC. The maternal gut microbiome in pregnancy: implications for the developing immune system. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 21:35-45. [PMID: 38097774 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-023-00864-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiome has important roles in host metabolism and immunity, and microbial dysbiosis affects human physiology and health. Maternal immunity and microbial metabolites during pregnancy, microbial transfer during birth, and transfer of immune factors, microorganisms and metabolites via breastfeeding provide critical sources of early-life microbial and immune training, with important consequences for human health. Only a few studies have directly examined the interactions between the gut microbiome and the immune system during pregnancy, and the subsequent effect on offspring development. In this Review, we aim to describe how the maternal microbiome shapes overall pregnancy-associated maternal, fetal and early neonatal immune systems, focusing on the existing evidence and highlighting current gaps to promote further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omry Koren
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Liza Konnikova
- Department of Paediatrics and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Petter Brodin
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Indira U Mysorekar
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Carmen Collado
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology-National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain.
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Li KT, Li F, Jaspan H, Nyemba D, Myer L, Aldrovandi G, Joseph-Davey D. Changes in the Vaginal Microbiome During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in South African Women: a Longitudinal Study. Reprod Sci 2024; 31:275-287. [PMID: 37721699 PMCID: PMC10784382 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01351-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa have high rates of maternal morbidity. There is interest in the impact of the vaginal microbiome on maternal health, including HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition. We characterized the vaginal microbiota of South African women ≥ 18 years with and without HIV in a longitudinal cohort over two visits during pregnancy and one visit postpartum. At each visit, we obtained HIV testing and self-collected vaginal swabs for point-of-care testing for STIs and microbiota sequencing. We categorized microbial communities and evaluated changes over pregnancy and associations with HIV status and STI diagnosis. Across 242 women (mean age 29, 44% living with HIV, 33% diagnosed with STIs), we identified four main community state types (CSTs): two lactobacillus-dominant CSTs (dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners respectively) and two diverse, non-lactobacillus-dominant CSTs (one dominated by Gardnerella vaginalis and one by diverse facultative anaerobes). From the first antenatal visit to the third trimester (24-36 weeks gestation), 60% of women in the Gardnerella-dominant CST shifted to lactobacillus-dominant CSTs. From the third trimester to postpartum (mean 17 days post-delivery), 80% of women in lactobacillus-dominant CSTs shifted to non-lactobacillus-dominant CSTs with a large proportion in the facultative anaerobe-dominant CST. Microbial composition differed by STI diagnosis (PERMANOVA R2 = 0.002, p = 0.004), and women diagnosed with an STI were more likely to be categorized as L. iners-dominant or Gardnerella-dominant CSTs. Overall, we found a shift toward lactobacillus dominance during pregnancy and the emergence of a distinct, highly diverse anaerobe-dominant microbiota profile in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine T Li
- Division of Infectious Disease, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fan Li
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Heather Jaspan
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Departments of Pediatrics and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dorothy Nyemba
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Landon Myer
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Grace Aldrovandi
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dvora Joseph-Davey
- Division of Infectious Disease, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Onyango S, Mi JD, Koech A, Okiro P, Temmerman M, von Dadelszen P, Tribe RM, Omuse G. Microbiota dynamics, metabolic and immune interactions in the cervicovaginal environment and their role in spontaneous preterm birth. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1306473. [PMID: 38196946 PMCID: PMC10774218 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1306473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Differences in the cervicovaginal microbiota are associated with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB), a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Although establishing a direct causal link between cervicovaginal microbiota and sPTB remains challenging, recent advancements in sequencing technologies have facilitated the identification of microbial markers potentially linked to sPTB. Despite variations in findings, a recurring observation suggests that sPTB is associated with a more diverse and less stable vaginal microbiota across pregnancy trimesters. It is hypothesized that sPTB risk is likely to be modified via an intricate host-microbe interactions rather than due to the presence of a single microbial taxon or broad community state. Nonetheless, lactobacilli dominance is generally associated with term outcomes and contributes to a healthy vaginal environment through the production of lactic acid/maintenance of a low pH that excludes other pathogenic microorganisms. Additionally, the innate immunity of the host and metabolic interactions between cervicovaginal microbiota, such as the production of bacteriocins and the use of proteolytic enzymes, exerts a profound influence on microbial populations, activities, and host immune responses. These interplays collectively impact pregnancy outcomes. This review aims to summarize the complexity of cervicovaginal environment and microbiota dynamics, and associations with bacterial vaginosis and sPTB. There is also consideration on how probiotics may mitigate the risk of sPTB and bacterial vaginosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley Onyango
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
- Centre of Excellence Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jia Dai Mi
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Koech
- Centre of Excellence Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Patricia Okiro
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Marleen Temmerman
- Centre of Excellence Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter von Dadelszen
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel M. Tribe
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey Omuse
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
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Väinämö S, Saqib S, Kalliala I, Kervinen K, Luiro K, Niinimäki M, Halttunen-Nieminen M, Virtanen S, Nieminen P, Salonen A, Holster T. Longitudinal analysis of vaginal microbiota during IVF fresh embryo transfer and in early pregnancy. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0165023. [PMID: 37882794 PMCID: PMC10715154 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01650-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Infertility is a global public health issue which leads many couples to seek fertility treatments, of which in vitro fertilization (IVF) is considered to be the most effective. Still, only about one-third of the women achieve live birth after the first IVF embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Factors affecting embryo implantation are poorly known, but the female reproductive tract microbiota may play a key role. Our study confirms the beneficial role of vaginal lactobacilli, especially Lactobacillus crispatus, in the probability of achieving clinical pregnancy and live birth following IVF-ET. Our findings regarding the intra-individual shift of vaginal microbiota between non-pregnancy and pregnancy states are novel and provide new information about the dynamics of microbiota in the early steps of human reproduction. These findings may help clinicians in their attempts to optimize the conditions for ET by microbiota screening or modulation and timing the ET when the microbiota is the most favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Väinämö
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Schahzad Saqib
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilkka Kalliala
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kaisa Kervinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kaisu Luiro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maarit Niinimäki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Mervi Halttunen-Nieminen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Seppo Virtanen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Nieminen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Salonen
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Holster
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
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Li H, Zhang H, Geng L, Huang H, Nie C, Zhu Y. Association between vaginal microbiome alteration and povidone iodine use during delivery. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:348. [PMID: 37978422 PMCID: PMC10655376 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03014-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The vaginal microbiome is a dynamic community of microorganisms in the vagina. Its alteration may be influenced by multiple factors, including gestational status, menstrual cycle, sexual intercourse, hormone levels, hormonal contraceptives, and vaginal drug administration. Povidone iodine has been used before delivery to reduce infection that may be caused by the ascendance of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria from the vagina to the uterus. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of povidone iodine use during delivery on the vaginal microbiome. METHODS This study enrolled a total of 67 women from maternity services in three hospitals. During the delivery process, we have applied povidone iodine in three doses such as low dose, medium dose, and high dose based on the amount of povidone iodine administered, thus, we studied the three groups of women based on the doses applied. Vaginal swab samples were collected both before and immediately after delivery, and the microbial communities were characterized using 16 S rRNA sequencing. The identification of differentially abundant microbial taxa was performed using ZicoSeq software. RESULTS Before delivery, the vaginal microbiome was dominated by the genus Lactobacillus, with different percentage observed (86.06%, 85.24%, and 73.42% for the low, medium, and high dose groups, respectively). After delivery, the vaginal microbial community was restructured, with a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in all three groups (68.06%, 50.08%, and 25.89%), and a significant increase in alpha diversity across all 3 groups (P < 0.01). Furthermore, as the dose of povidone iodine used during delivery increased, there was a corresponding decrease in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.01). Contrary, there was an increase in microbial diversity and the relative abundances of Pseudomonas (0.13%, 0.26%, and 13.04%, P < 0.01) and Ralstonia (0.01%, 0.02%, and 16.07%, P < 0.01) across the groups. Notably, some functional metabolic pathways related to sugar degradation were observed to have significant change with increasing use of povidone iodine. CONCLUSION Povidone iodine was associated with the vaginal microbiome alterations after parturition, and its significant change was associated to the dosage of povidone iodine administered. The escalation in iodine dosage was linked to a decrease in Lactobacilli abundance, and elevated prevalence of Pseudomonas and Ralstonia. There is a need for longitudinal studies to clearly understanding the effect of povidone iodine use on maternal and infant microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongping Li
- Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Hongqin Zhang
- Shenzhen Nanshan Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Linhua Geng
- Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Hongli Huang
- Shenzhen Luohu Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Chuan Nie
- Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Yuanfang Zhu
- Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
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Santos FP, Carvalhos CA, Figueiredo-Dias M. New Insights into Photobiomodulation of the Vaginal Microbiome-A Critical Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13507. [PMID: 37686314 PMCID: PMC10487748 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new technologies such as sequencing has greatly enhanced our understanding of the human microbiome. The interactions between the human microbiome and the development of several diseases have been the subject of recent research. In-depth knowledge about the vaginal microbiome (VMB) has shown that dysbiosis is closely related to the development of gynecologic and obstetric disorders. To date, the progress in treating or modulating the VMB has lagged far behind research efforts. Photobiomodulation (PBM) uses low levels of light, usually red or near-infrared, to treat a diversity of conditions. Several studies have demonstrated that PBM can control the microbiome and improve the activity of the immune system. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the microbiome, mostly to the gut microbiome and its connections with many diseases, such as metabolic disorders, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, autoimmunity, and neurological disorders. The applicability of PBM therapeutics to treat gut dysbiosis has been studied, with promising results. The possible cellular and molecular effects of PBM on the vaginal microbiome constitute a theoretical and promising field that is starting to take its first steps. In this review, we will discuss the potential mechanisms and effects of photobiomodulation in the VMB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda P. Santos
- Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology University Clinic, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (C.A.C.); (M.F.-D.)
- Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
- Gynecology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Area of Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3001-301 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlota A. Carvalhos
- Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology University Clinic, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (C.A.C.); (M.F.-D.)
- Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
- Gynecology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Margarida Figueiredo-Dias
- Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology University Clinic, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (C.A.C.); (M.F.-D.)
- Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
- Gynecology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Area of Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3001-301 Coimbra, Portugal
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10
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Ma H, Zhao W, Song T, Baijiu Z, Zhang Z. Comparative Analysis of the Pre-Parturition and Post-Parturition Genital Tract Microbiota in Plateau Bangor Sewa Sheep. Vet Sci 2023; 10:523. [PMID: 37624310 PMCID: PMC10459245 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10080523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Bangor Sewa sheep are an economically significant livestock species on the plateau. The roles of microbiota in reproduction are complex and critical for animal health. But little is known currently about the microbiome of plateau Bangor Sewa sheep. The purpose of this study was to discover the changes in the genital tract microbiota of pre- and post-partum Bangor Sewa sheep. (2) Methods: Samples from the birth canal were obtained for 16S rRNA sequencing, three days before and after delivery, respectively. (3) Results: The results showed that there was a noticeable difference in three phyla and 74 genera between the pre- and post-parturition groups in the microbiota of Bangor Sewa sheep. The changes included a decrease in the abundance of genera related to health (unclassified_Cellulomonadaceae, Cellulomonas, Fibrobacti, Flavobacterium, Eubacterium_ventriosum_group, Acetitomaculum, Aeromicrobium, Dietzia, Romboutsia, Ruminococcus, etc.) and an increased abundance of negatively related genera (Nocardioides, unclassified_Clostridia, Sphingobacteriaceae, unclassified_Ruminococcaceae, Prevotellaceae_UCG_004, Micromonospora, Streptococcus, Facklamia, Bosea, etc.) spp. (4) Conclusions: Microbes can serve as indicators of the physical state of Bangor Sewa sheep. These findings laid the foundation for deciphering the effects of microbial changes during birth on the reproductive health of plateau Bangor Sewa sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongcai Ma
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lhasa 850009, China; (H.M.); (T.S.)
| | - Wangsheng Zhao
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China;
| | - Tianzeng Song
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lhasa 850009, China; (H.M.); (T.S.)
| | - Zhaxi Baijiu
- Cultural Service Center of Maqian Township, Nagqu 852599, China;
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China;
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Costello EK, DiGiulio DB, Robaczewska A, Symul L, Wong RJ, Shaw GM, Stevenson DK, Holmes SP, Kwon DS, Relman DA. Abrupt perturbation and delayed recovery of the vaginal ecosystem following childbirth. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4141. [PMID: 37438386 PMCID: PMC10338445 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39849-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The vaginal ecosystem is closely tied to human health and reproductive outcomes, yet its dynamics in the wake of childbirth remain poorly characterized. Here, we profile the vaginal microbiota and cytokine milieu of participants sampled longitudinally throughout pregnancy and for at least one year postpartum. We show that delivery, regardless of mode, is associated with a vaginal pro-inflammatory cytokine response and the loss of Lactobacillus dominance. By contrast, neither the progression of gestation nor the approach of labor strongly altered the vaginal ecosystem. At 9.5-months postpartum-the latest timepoint at which cytokines were assessed-elevated inflammation coincided with vaginal bacterial communities that had remained perturbed (highly diverse) from the time of delivery. Time-to-event analysis indicated a one-year postpartum probability of transitioning to Lactobacillus dominance of 49.4%. As diversity and inflammation declined during the postpartum period, dominance by L. crispatus, the quintessential health-associated commensal, failed to return: its prevalence before, immediately after, and one year after delivery was 41%, 4%, and 9%, respectively. Revisiting our pre-delivery data, we found that a prior live birth was associated with a lower odds of L. crispatus dominance in pregnant participants-an outcome modestly tempered by a longer ( > 18-month) interpregnancy interval. Our results suggest that reproductive history and childbirth in particular remodel the vaginal ecosystem and that the timing and degree of recovery from delivery may help determine the subsequent health of the woman and of future pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Costello
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Daniel B DiGiulio
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Anna Robaczewska
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Laura Symul
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ronald J Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Gary M Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - David K Stevenson
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Susan P Holmes
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Douglas S Kwon
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - David A Relman
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
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12
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Carter KA, Fodor AA, Balkus JE, Zhang A, Serrano MG, Buck GA, Engel SM, Wu MC, Sun S. Vaginal Microbiome Metagenome Inference Accuracy: Differential Measurement Error according to Community Composition. mSystems 2023; 8:e0100322. [PMID: 36975801 PMCID: PMC10134888 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01003-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have compared metagenome inference performance in different human body sites; however, none specifically reported on the vaginal microbiome. Findings from other body sites cannot easily be generalized to the vaginal microbiome due to unique features of vaginal microbial ecology, and investigators seeking to use metagenome inference in vaginal microbiome research are "flying blind" with respect to potential bias these methods may introduce into analyses. We compared the performance of PICRUSt2 and Tax4Fun2 using paired 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and whole-metagenome sequencing data from vaginal samples from 72 pregnant individuals enrolled in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition (PIN) cohort. Participants were selected from those with known birth outcomes and adequate 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data in a case-control design. Cases experienced early preterm birth (<32 weeks of gestation), and controls experienced term birth (37 to 41 weeks of gestation). PICRUSt2 and Tax4Fun2 performed modestly overall (median Spearman correlation coefficients between observed and predicted KEGG ortholog [KO] relative abundances of 0.20 and 0.22, respectively). Both methods performed best among Lactobacillus crispatus-dominated vaginal microbiotas (median Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.24 and 0.25, respectively) and worst among Lactobacillus iners-dominated microbiotas (median Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.06 and 0.11, respectively). The same pattern was observed when evaluating correlations between univariable hypothesis test P values generated with observed and predicted metagenome data. Differential metagenome inference performance across vaginal microbiota community types can be considered differential measurement error, which often causes differential misclassification. As such, metagenome inference will introduce hard-to-predict bias (toward or away from the null) in vaginal microbiome research. IMPORTANCE Compared to taxonomic composition, the functional potential within a bacterial community is more relevant to establishing mechanistic understandings and causal relationships between the microbiome and health outcomes. Metagenome inference attempts to bridge the gap between 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and whole-metagenome sequencing by predicting a microbiome's gene content based on its taxonomic composition and annotated genome sequences of its members. Metagenome inference methods have been evaluated primarily among gut samples, where they appear to perform fairly well. Here, we show that metagenome inference performance is markedly worse for the vaginal microbiome and that performance varies across common vaginal microbiome community types. Because these community types are associated with sexual and reproductive outcomes, differential metagenome inference performance will bias vaginal microbiome studies, obscuring relationships of interest. Results from such studies should be interpreted with substantial caution and the understanding that they may over- or underestimate associations with metagenome content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla A. Carter
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Anthony A. Fodor
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Balkus
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Angela Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Myrna G. Serrano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Center for Microbiome Engineering and Data Analysis, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Gregory A. Buck
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Center for Microbiome Engineering and Data Analysis, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Stephanie M. Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael C. Wu
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Shan Sun
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Prasad A, Ene A, Jablonska S, Du J, Wolfe AJ, Putonti C. Comparative Genomic Study of Streptococcus anginosus Reveals Distinct Group of Urinary Strains. mSphere 2023; 8:e0068722. [PMID: 36744899 PMCID: PMC10117062 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00687-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus anginosus is a prevalent member of the human flora. While it has been found in the microbiota of "healthy" asymptomatic individuals, it has also been associated with genitourinary tract infections and bacteremia. Based upon multilocus sequence analysis, two subspecies and two genomosubspecies have been characterized for the species. We previously conducted whole-genome sequencing of 85 S. anginosus isolates from the urinary tract. Here, we present genomic analysis of this species, including isolates from the urinary tract as well as gut and fecal, vaginal, oral, respiratory, and blood and heart samples. Average nucleotide identity and core genome analysis revealed that these strains form two distinct groups. Group 1 is comprised of the S. anginosus type strain and other previously identified S. anginosus subspecies and genomosubspecies, including isolates from throughout the human body. In contrast, group 2 consists of predominantly urinary streptococci (n = 77; 85.6%). Both of these S. anginosus groups are distinct from other members of the Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) species S. intermedius and S. constellatus. Genes conserved among all strains of one group but not in any strains in the other group were next identified. Group 1 strains included genes found in S. intermedius and S. constellatus, suggesting that they were lost within the ancestor of the group 2 strains. In contrast, genes unique to the group 2 strains were homologous to more distant streptococci, indicative of acquisition via horizontal gene transfer. These genes are ideal candidates for use as marker genes to distinguish between the two groups in the human microbiota. IMPORTANCE Whole-genome analysis of S. anginosus strains provides greater insight into the diversity of this species than from marker genes alone. Our investigation of 166 publicly available S. anginosus genomes via average nucleotide identity and core genome analysis revealed two phylogenomically distinct groups of this species, with one group almost exclusively consisting of isolates from the urinary tract. In contrast, only 8 urinary strains were identified within the other group, which contained the S. anginosus type strain, as well as all identified subspecies and genomosubspecies. While genomic analysis suggested that this urinary group of S. anginosus is genomically different from the previously characterized S. anginosus subspecies, phenotypic characterization is still needed. Given prior reports of the prevalence of S. anginosus in the urinary tract of both continent and incontinent females, future studies are needed to investigate if the symptom state of the urinary tract is associated with these two different groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Prasad
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Adriana Ene
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sandra Jablonska
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jingjie Du
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Alan J. Wolfe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Catherine Putonti
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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14
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Li K, Li F, Jaspan H, Nyemba D, Myer L, Aldrovandi G, Joseph-Davey D. Changes in the vaginal microbiome during pregnancy and the postpartum period in South African women: a longitudinal study. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-2617869. [PMID: 37131718 PMCID: PMC10153297 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2617869/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
African women have more diverse vaginal microbiota than women of European descent, and there is interest in the impact of this diversity on maternal health, including HIV and STI acquisition. We characterized the vaginal microbiota in a cohort of women ≥ 18 years with and without HIV in a longitudinal cohort over two visits during pregnancy and one visit postpartum. At each visit we obtained HIV testing and self-collected vaginal swabs for point of care testing for STIs and microbiome sequencing. We categorized microbial communities and evaluated changes over pregnancy and associations with HIV status and STI diagnosis. Across 242 women (mean age 29, 44% living with HIV, 33% diagnosed with STIs), we identified four main community state types (CSTs): two lactobacillus-dominant CSTs (dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners respectively) and two diverse, non-lactobacillus-dominant CSTs (one dominated by Gardnerella vaginalis and one by other facultative anaerobes). From first antenatal visit to third trimester (24-36 weeks gestation), 60% of women in the Gardnerella -dominant CST shifted to L actobacillus -dominant CSTs. From third trimester to postpartum (mean 17 days post-delivery), 80% of women in Lactobacillus -dominant CSTs shifted to non-lactobacillus-dominant CSTs with a large proportion in the facultative anaerobe-dominant CST. Microbial composition differed by STI diagnosis (PERMANOVA R 2 = 0.002, p = 0.004), and women diagnosed with an STI were more likely to be categorized with L. iners -dominant or Gardnerella -dominant CSTs. Overall we found a shift toward lactobacillus dominance during pregnancy, and the emergence of a distinct, highly diverse anaerobe-dominant microbiome population in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Li
- UCLA Health System: University of California Los Angeles Health System
| | - Fan Li
- UCLA Medical School: University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
| | | | | | - Landon Myer
- University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences
| | - Grace Aldrovandi
- UCLA Medical School: University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
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Das S, Bhattacharjee MJ, Mukherjee AK, Khan MR. Recent advances in understanding of multifaceted changes in the vaginal microenvironment: implications in vaginal health and therapeutics. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023; 49:256-282. [PMID: 35312419 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2022.2049696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The vagina endures multifaceted changes from neonatal to menopausal phases due to hormonal flux, metabolite deposition, and microbial colonization. These features have important implications in women's health. Several pre-factors show dynamic characteristics according to the phases that shift the vaginal microbiota from anaerobes to aerobes which is a hallmark of healthy vaginal environment. These factors include oestrogen levels, glycogen deposition, and vaginal microstructure. In the adult phase, Lactobacillus is highly dominant and regulates pH, adherence, aggregation, immune modulation, synthesis of bacteriocins, and biosurfactants (BSs) which are antagonistic to pathogens. Maternal factors are protective by favouring the colonization of lactobacilli in the vagina in the neonatal phase, which diminishes with age. The dominance of lactobacilli and dysbiosis in the adult phase depends on intrinsic and extrinsic factors in women, which vary between ethnicities. Recent developments in probiotics used against vaginal microbiome dysbiosis have shown great promise in restoring the normal microbiota including preventing the loss of beneficial bacteria. However, further in-depth studies are warranted to ensure long-term protection by probiotics. This review highlights various aspects of the vaginal microenvironment in different phases of growth and diverse ethnicities. Furthermore, it discusses future trends for formulating more effective population-specific probiotics and implications of paraprobiotics and postbiotics as effective therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmita Das
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, India
| | | | - Ashis K Mukherjee
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, India.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
| | - Mojibur Rohman Khan
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, India
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Mabugana MC, Dias BDC, Muller EE, Kufa T, Gumede L, Mahlangu MP, Maseko DV, Kularatne RS. The evaluation of the Allplex™ BV molecular assay for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in symptomatic South African females. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2023; 106:115924. [PMID: 37030281 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2023.115924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a dysbiosis of vaginal microbiota characterized by a shift from Lactobacillus species predomination to a heterogeneous mixture of anaerobes. We compared the performance characteristics of the Allplex ™ BV molecular assay with the reference test, Nugent score microscopy, for vaginal swab specimens from symptomatic South African women. A total of 213 patients were enrolled, of whom 99 (46.5%) and 132 (62.0%) were diagnosed with BV by Nugent and Allplex™, respectively. The Allplex™ BV assay displayed a sensitivity of 94.9% (95% CI, 88.7%-97.8%) and a specificity of 66.7% (95% CI, 57.6%-74.6%), with an agreement of 79.8% (95% CI, 73.9%-84.7%) (κ = 0.60). Assay design may be enhanced for improved specificity by accounting for differences in healthy and BV-associated vaginal microbiomes among women of different ethnicities.
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Amin ME, Azab M, Hanora A, Atwa K, Shabayek S. Compositional Changes in the Vaginal Bacterial Microbiome of Healthy Pregnant Women across the Three Gestational Trimesters in Ismailia, Egypt. Microorganisms 2023; 11. [PMID: 36677431 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The composition of the vaginal microbiome may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Normal pregnancy is associated with changes in the vaginal bacterial community composition, which tend to be more enriched with one or two Lactobacillus species promoting a healthy vagina and favorable birth outcomes. The aim of the current study was to determine compositional changes in the healthy vaginal microbiome composition during the three trimesters of pregnancy in Ismailia, Egypt using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA. The phylum Firmicutes and the genus Lactobacillus dominated across the three trimesters of pregnancy. L. iners was the most abundant species. However, L. coleohominis and L. reuteri represented the least dominant vaginal lactobacilli. Core microbiome analyses showed the Lactobacillus genus and L. iners species to have the highest prevalence in all the samples of our study groups. The phylum Firmicutes was found to be negatively correlated with almost all other vaginal phyla during pregnancy. Likewise, a negative correlation between Lactobacillus and almost all other genera was detected, including significant negative correlations with Dialister and Prevotella. Furthermore, negative correlations of L. iners were detected with almost all other species, including a significant negative correlation with L. helveticus, G. vaginalis, S. anginosus, and S. agalactiae.
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18
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Odogwu NM. Role of short interpregnancy interval, birth mode, birth practices, and the postpartum vaginal microbiome in preterm birth. Front Reprod Health 2023; 4:1082199. [PMID: 36685092 PMCID: PMC9845938 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2022.1082199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
There have been widely documented beneficial role of vaginal Lactobacillus species as an important biomarker for vaginal health and healthy pregnancy progression. When translating this to clinical settings, pregnant women with low proportions of Lactobacillus and commensurately high proportion of rich and highly diverse abnormal microbiota are most likely to encounter negative pregnancy outcome such as preterm birth and postpartum complications. However, multiple literatures have also addressed this notion that the absence of a Lactobacillus-dominated microbiota does not appear to directly imply to a diseased condition and may not be a major determinant of negative obstetric outcome. Caesarian delivery is notably a risk factor for preterm birth and postpartum endometritis, yet recent data shows a trend in the overuse of CS across several populations. Growing evidence suggest the potential role of vaginal/uterine cleaning practice during CS procedures in influencing postpartum infections, however there is a controversy that this practice is associated with increased rates of postpartum endometritis. The preponderance of bacterial vaginosis associated bacteria vagitype at postpartum which persist for a long period of time even after lochia regression in some women may suggest why short interpregnancy interval may pose a potential risk for preterm birth, especially multigravidas. While specifically linking a community of microbes in the female reproductive tract or an exact causative infectious agent to preterm birth and postpartum pathologies remains elusive, clinical attention should also be drawn to the potential contribution of other factors such as short interpregnancy interval, birth mode, birth practices and the postpartum vaginal microbiome in preterm birth which is explicitly described in this narrative review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nkechi Martina Odogwu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States,School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States,Correspondence: Nkechi Martina Odogwu ,
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19
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Zhang Y, Yang H, Lin L, Yang W, Xiong G, Gao G. The relationship between pelvic floor functions and vaginal microbiota in 6–8 weeks postpartum women. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:975406. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.975406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The impairment of pelvic floor muscle functions and Lactobacillus-deficient vaginal microbiota is common in postpartum women. However, few studies have explored the correlation between pelvic floor muscle functions and vaginal microbiota. Given this research gap, our study aims to investigate any potential association between these two conditions of postpartum women (6–8 weeks after childbirth). A total of 230 women who required postpartum pelvic floor function examination at Peking University International Hospital from December 2021 to April 2022 were enrolled in this study. The collected questionnaire information included progestational weight, body mass index (BMI), weight gain during pregnancy, neonatal weight, delivery type, multiparity, postpartum time, and urinary incontinence (UI). A total of 187 samples of vaginal secretions were collected, and the vaginal microbiota was detected by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Finally, 183 samples were analyzed in the trial. All individuals were divided into two groups according to the results of pelvic floor muscle assessment to explore the difference between the incidence of postpartum urinary incontinence and vaginal microbiota. We found that the prevalence of UI was higher in the group with weakened pelvic floor muscles. Vaginal delivery, overweight, age, neonatal weight, and weight gain during pregnancy were all risk factors for postpartum urinary incontinence. The vaginal microbiome was no longer Lactobacillus dominant of most postpartum women (91.8%), while the diversity of microbiota increased. The Lactobacillus-deficient community, commonly labeled as community state type (CST) IV, was sub-divided into four communities. The abundance of vaginal Lactobacillus decreased in the group with compromised pelvic muscle functions, while the species richness and diversity increased significantly. In conclusion, the decreased pelvic floor muscle functions of postpartum women 6–8 weeks after delivery may disrupt the balance of vaginal microbiota, and the restoration of pelvic floor functions may contribute to a healthy and balanced vaginal microbiota.
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Chopra C, Bhushan I, Mehta M, Koushal T, Gupta A, Sharma S, Kumar M, Khodor SA, Sharma S. Vaginal microbiome: considerations for reproductive health. Future Microbiol 2022; 17:1501-1513. [DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2022-0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial communities are an indispensable part of the human defense system and coexist with humans as symbionts, contributing to the metabolic functions and immune defense against pathogens. An ecologically stable vaginal microbiota is dominated by Lactobacillus species, which plays an important role in the prevention of genital infections by controlling the vaginal pH, reducing glycogen to lactic acid, and stimulating bacteriocins and hydrogen peroxide. In contrast, an abnormal vaginal microbial composition is associated with an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, sexually transmitted diseases, preterm labor and other birth defects. This microbial diversity is affected by race, ethnicity, pregnancy, hormonal changes, sexual activities, hygiene practices and other conditions. In the present review, we discuss the changes in the microbial community of the vaginal region at different stages of a female's life cycle and its influence on her reproductive health and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chitrakshi Chopra
- School of Biotechnology, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, 182320, India
| | - Indu Bhushan
- School of Biotechnology, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, 182320, India
| | - Malvika Mehta
- School of Biotechnology, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, 182320, India
| | - Tanvi Koushal
- School of Biotechnology, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, 182320, India
| | - Amita Gupta
- Department of Gynecology, Government Medical College, Jammu, (J&K), 180001, India
| | - Sarika Sharma
- Department of Sponsored Research, Division of Research & Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Research Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, 26999, Qatar
| | | | - Sandeep Sharma
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India
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Fransson E, Gudnadottir U, Hugerth LW, Itzel EW, Hamsten M, Boulund F, Pennhag A, Du J, Schuppe-Koistinen I, Brusselaers N, Engstrand L. Cohort profile: the Swedish Maternal Microbiome project (SweMaMi) - assessing the dynamic associations between the microbiome and maternal and neonatal adverse events. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e065825. [PMID: 36288838 PMCID: PMC9615996 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The Swedish Maternal Microbiome (SweMaMi) project was initiated to better understand the dynamics of the microbiome in pregnancy, with longitudinal microbiome sampling, shotgun metagenomics, extensive questionnaires and health registry linkage. PARTICIPANTS Pregnant women were recruited before the 20th gestational week during 2017-2021 in Sweden. In total, 5439 pregnancies (5193 unique women) were included. For 3973 pregnancies (73%), samples were provided at baseline, and for 3141 (58%) at all three timepoints (second and third trimester and postpartum). In total, 38 591 maternal microbiome samples (vaginal, faecal and saliva) and 3109 infant faecal samples were collected. Questionnaires were used to collect information on general, reproductive and mental health, diet and lifestyle, complemented by linkage to the nationwide health registries, also used to follow up the health of the offspring (up to age 10). FINDINGS TO DATE The cohort is fairly representative for the total Swedish pregnant population (data from 2019), with 41% first-time mothers. Women with university level education, born in Sweden, with normal body mass index, not using tobacco-products and aged 30-34 years were slightly over-represented. FUTURE PLANS The sample and data collection were finalised in November 2021. The next steps are the characterisation of the microbial DNA and linkage to the health and demographic information from the questionnaires and registries. The role of the microbiome on maternal and neonatal outcomes and early-childhood diseases will be explored (including preterm birth, miscarriage) and the role and interaction of other risk factors and confounders (including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, diet, drug use). This is currently among the largest pregnancy cohorts in the world with longitudinal design and detailed and standardised microbiome sampling enabling follow-up of both mothers and children. The findings are expected to contribute greatly to the field of reproductive health focusing on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Fransson
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Unnur Gudnadottir
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luisa W Hugerth
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eva Wiberg Itzel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Södersjukhuset AB, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marica Hamsten
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Boulund
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Pennhag
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Juan Du
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ina Schuppe-Koistinen
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nele Brusselaers
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Lars Engstrand
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Stockholm, Sweden
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Kervinen K, Holster T, Saqib S, Virtanen S, Stefanovic V, Rahkonen L, Nieminen P, Salonen A, Kalliala I. Parity and gestational age are associated with vaginal microbiota composition in term and late term pregnancies. EBioMedicine 2022; 81:104107. [PMID: 35759916 PMCID: PMC9250009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vaginal microbiota and its potential contribution to preterm birth is under intense research. However, only few studies have investigated the vaginal microbiota in later stages of pregnancy or at the onset of labour. Methods We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to analyse cross-sectional vaginal swab samples from 324 Finnish women between 37–42 weeks of gestation, sampled before elective caesarean section, at the onset of spontaneous labour, and in pregnancies lasting ≥41 weeks of gestation. Microbiota data were combined with comprehensive clinical data to identify factors associated with microbiota variation. Findings Vaginal microbiota composition associated strongly with advancing gestational age and parity, i.e. presence of previous deliveries. Absence of previous deliveries was a strong predictor of Lactobacillus crispatus dominated vaginal microbiota, and the relative abundance of L. crispatus was higher in late term pregnancies, especially among nulliparous women. Interpretation This study identified late term pregnancy and reproductive history as factors underlying high abundance of gynaecological health-associated L. crispatus in pregnant women. Our results suggest that the vaginal microbiota affects or reflects the regulation of the duration of gestation and labour onset, with potentially vast clinical utilities. Further studies are needed to address the causality and the mechanisms on how previous labour, but not pregnancy, affects the vaginal microbiota. Parity and gestational age should be accounted for in future studies on vaginal microbiota and reproductive outcomes. Funding This research was supported by EU H2020 programme Sweet Crosstalk ITN (814102), Academy of Finland, State Research Funding, and University of Helsinki.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaisa Kervinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Holster
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Schahzad Saqib
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Seppo Virtanen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vedran Stefanovic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leena Rahkonen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Nieminen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Salonen
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ilkka Kalliala
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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González-Sánchez A, Reyes-Lagos JJ, Peña-Castillo MA, Nirmalkar K, García-Mena J, Pacheco-López G. Vaginal Microbiota Is Stable and Mainly Dominated by Lactobacillus at Third Trimester of Pregnancy and Active Childbirth: A Longitudinal Study of Ten Mexican Women. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:230. [PMID: 35767085 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In healthy women at reproductive age, the vaginal microbiota is mainly dominated by Lactobacillus bacteria during pregnancy and non-pregnancy stages. However, little is known about longitudinal changes within the vaginal microbiota composition from the third trimester of pregnancy to childbirth in healthy women. Thus, we conducted an exploratory longitudinal study of vaginal microbiota composition of 10 Mexican pregnant women, sampling from the same volunteer at two-time points: third trimester of pregnancy and active childbirth. Vaginal bacterial microbiota was characterized by V3-16S rDNA libraries by high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics methods. Out of ten, vaginal microbiota from eight women was dominated by the Lactobacillus genus at both time points, whereas the other two women showed vaginal microbiota composition with high abundance of genera Gardnerella, Prevotella, and members of the Atopobiaceae family, without any preterm birth correlation. Importantly, we found no statistically significant differences in relative abundances, absolute reads count, alpha and beta diversity between the third trimester of pregnancy, and active childbirth time points. However, compared to the third trimester of pregnancy, we observed a trend with higher absolute reads counts for Gardnerella, Faecalibaculum, Ileibacterium, and Lactococcus genus at active childbirth and lower absolute reads count of Lactobacillus genus. Our results suggest that the vaginal microbiota composition is stable, and Lactobacillus genus is the dominant taxa in Mexican women's vagina at the third trimester of pregnancy and childbirth.
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Severgnini M, Morselli S, Camboni T, Ceccarani C, Laghi L, Zagonari S, Patuelli G, Pedna MF, Sambri V, Foschi C, Consolandi C, Marangoni A. A Deep Look at the Vaginal Environment During Pregnancy and Puerperium. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:838405. [PMID: 35656029 PMCID: PMC9152327 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.838405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A deep comprehension of the vaginal ecosystem may hold promise for unraveling the pathophysiology of pregnancy and may provide novel biomarkers to identify subjects at risk of maternal-fetal complications. In this prospective study, we assessed the characteristics of the vaginal environment in a cohort of pregnant women throughout their different gestational ages and puerperium. Both the vaginal bacterial composition and the vaginal metabolic profiles were analyzed. A total of 63 Caucasian women with a successful pregnancy and 9 subjects who had a first trimester miscarriage were enrolled. For the study, obstetric examinations were scheduled along the three trimester phases (9-13, 20-24, 32-34 gestation weeks) and puerperium (40-55 days after delivery). Two vaginal swabs were collected at each time point, to assess the vaginal microbiome profiling (by Nugent score and 16S rRNA gene sequencing) and the vaginal metabolic composition (1H-NMR spectroscopy). During pregnancy, the vaginal microbiome underwent marked changes, with a significant decrease in overall diversity, and increased stability. Over time, we found a significant increase of Lactobacillus and a decrease of several genera related to bacterial vaginosis (BV), such as Prevotella, Atopobium and Sneathia. It is worth noting that the levels of Bifidobacterium spp. tended to decrease at the end of pregnancy. At the puerperium, a significantly lower content of Lactobacillus and higher levels of Gardnerella, Prevotella, Atopobium, and Streptococcus were observed. Women receiving an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) were characterized by a vaginal abundance of Prevotella compared to untreated women. Analysis of bacterial relative abundances highlighted an increased abundance of Fusobacterium in women suffering a first trimester abortion, at all taxonomic levels. Lactobacillus abundance was strongly correlated with higher levels of lactate, sarcosine, and many amino acids (i.e., isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan). Conversely, BV-associated genera, such as Gardnerella, Atopobium, and Sneathia, were related to amines (e.g., putrescine, methylamine), formate, acetate, alcohols, and short-chain fatty-acids (i.e., butyrate, propionate).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Severgnini
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies – National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Morselli
- Microbiology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tania Camboni
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies – National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Camilla Ceccarani
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies – National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Laghi
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Vittorio Sambri
- Microbiology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Unit of Microbiology, Greater Romagna Hub Laboratory, Cesena, Italy
| | - Claudio Foschi
- Microbiology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Clarissa Consolandi
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies – National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Marangoni
- Microbiology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Wang W, Hao J, An R. Abnormal vaginal flora correlates with pregnancy outcomes: A retrospective study from 737 pregnant women. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2022; 272:64-8. [PMID: 35286920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Abnormal vaginal flora (AVF) is a common cause of vulvovaginal symptoms in women. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of AVF in pregnant women and assess associations between diverse AVF subtypes and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS This study retrospectively collected clinical data of pregnant women who had vaginal flora tests (VFT) between January 2015 and December 2018 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. AVF were defined into different subtypes according to the results of VFT, including bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), aerobic bacteria (AV), cytolytic vaginosis (CV), and trichomoniasis. Pregnancy outcomes included gestational age at delivery, preterm birth (PTB), premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and infant birth weight. Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test was used for analyses using SPSS 22.0. P < 0.05 was considered as statistical significance. RESULTS A total of 737 pregnant women were included in this study. Pregnant women in AVF group suffered more PROM than women in normal vaginal flora (NVF) group (18.8% [33/176] vs 10.6% [32/302], P = 0.012); pregnant women with BV (31.3% [5/16] vs 10.6% [32/302], P = 0.018) and mixed vaginitis (55.6% [5/9] vs 10.6% [32/302], P = 0.001) had higher PROM rates than women in the NVF group. In addition, pregnant women in NVF and AVF groups had similar PTB rates (5.0% [15/302] vs 3.5% [32/302], P = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS AVF, including BV and Mixed vaginitis, augments PROM risk in pregnant women, demonstrating the need for vaginal flora examination during pregnancy.
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Lehtoranta L, Ala-Jaakkola R, Laitila A, Maukonen J. Healthy Vaginal Microbiota and Influence of Probiotics Across the Female Life Span. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:819958. [PMID: 35464937 PMCID: PMC9024219 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.819958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaginal microbiota plays a central role in women’s health and reproduction. Vaginal microbiota is dynamic and shaped by hormonal shifts in each stage of a woman’s life from pre-puberty to postmenopause. Current research has mainly focused on vaginal bacterial and fungal members of the community and emphasized their role in disease. However, the impact of balanced vaginal microbiota on health and its interaction with the host is yet poorly understood. High abundance of vaginal lactobacilli is most strongly associated with health, but the concept of health may vary as vaginal dysbiosis may be asymptomatic. Furthermore, there is a lot of variation between ethnic groups in terms of dominating vaginal bacteria. Probiotic lactobacilli could be a safe and natural means to balance and maintain healthy vaginal microbiota. Research evidence is accumulating on their role in supporting women’s health throughout life. This review describes the current literature on vaginal microbiota, the major factors affecting its composition, and how the communities change in different life stages. Furthermore, we focused on reviewing available literature on probiotics and their impact on vaginal microbiota and health.
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France M, Alizadeh M, Brown S, Ma B, Ravel J. Towards a deeper understanding of the vaginal microbiota. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:367-78. [PMID: 35246662 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The human vaginal microbiota is a critical determinant of vaginal health. These communities live in close association with the vaginal epithelium and rely on host tissues for resources. Although often dominated by lactobacilli, the vaginal microbiota is also frequently composed of a collection of facultative and obligate anaerobes. The prevalence of these communities with a paucity of Lactobacillus species varies among women, and epidemiological studies have associated them with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. The mechanisms that drive these associations have yet to be described in detail, with few studies establishing causative relationships. Here, we review our current understanding of the vaginal microbiota and its connection with host health. We centre our discussion around the biology of the vaginal microbiota when Lactobacillus species are dominant versus when they are not, including host factors that are implicated in shaping these microbial communities and the resulting adverse health outcomes. We discuss current approaches to modulate the vaginal microbiota, including probiotics and vaginal microbiome transplants, and argue that new model systems of the cervicovaginal environment that incorporate the vaginal microbiota are needed to progress from association to mechanism and this will prove invaluable for future research.
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Juliana NCA, Deb S, Juma MH, Poort L, Budding AE, Mbarouk A, Ali SM, Ouburg S, Morré SA, Sazawal S, Ambrosino E. The Vaginal Microbiota Composition and Genital Infections during and after Pregnancy among Women in Pemba Island, Tanzania. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10030509. [PMID: 35336085 PMCID: PMC8951098 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the vaginal microbiota (VMB) composition, prevalence of genital pathogens and their association among pregnant and post-delivery women in Pemba Island, Tanzania. Vaginal swabs were collected from 90 women, at two time points during pregnancy (<20 weeks of gestational age [GA] and ≥20 weeks GA) and once after delivery, when possible. IS-pro assay was used for VMB characterization. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhea (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and human papillomavirus (HPV) were detected by qPCRs. VMB were mostly Lactobacillus dominant during pregnancy and non-Lactobacillus dominant post-delivery. A significant decrease in VMB richness was observed during pregnancy among paired and unpaired samples. Shannon diversity was significantly lower during pregnancy than post-delivery among unpaired samples. Klebsiella species and Streptococcus anginosus were the most commonly identified pathobionts at all timepoints. A high abundance of pathobionts was mostly seen in women with non-Lactobacillus dominant VMB. At ≥20 weeks GA timepoint during pregnancy, 63.0% of the women carrying one or more genital pathogen (either HPV, CT, TV, or MG) had L. iners dominant VMB. NG was not detected pre-delivery. This study contributes evidence on VMB composition, its changes during pregnancy and post-delivery, and their association with pathobionts and genital pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi C. A. Juliana
- Institute for Public Health Genomics (IPHG), Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Research School GROW (School for Oncology & Reproduction), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, University of Maastricht, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands; (N.C.A.J.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Saikat Deb
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Chake Chake 74201, Pemba Island, Tanzania; (S.D.); (M.H.J.); (A.M.); (S.M.A.)
- Centre for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi 110024, India;
| | - Mohamed H. Juma
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Chake Chake 74201, Pemba Island, Tanzania; (S.D.); (M.H.J.); (A.M.); (S.M.A.)
| | - Linda Poort
- inBiome, 1098 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (L.P.); (A.E.B.)
| | | | - Abdalla Mbarouk
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Chake Chake 74201, Pemba Island, Tanzania; (S.D.); (M.H.J.); (A.M.); (S.M.A.)
| | - Said M. Ali
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Chake Chake 74201, Pemba Island, Tanzania; (S.D.); (M.H.J.); (A.M.); (S.M.A.)
| | - Sander Ouburg
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, 1105 Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Servaas A. Morré
- Institute for Public Health Genomics (IPHG), Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Research School GROW (School for Oncology & Reproduction), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, University of Maastricht, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands; (N.C.A.J.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Sunil Sazawal
- Centre for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi 110024, India;
| | - Elena Ambrosino
- Institute for Public Health Genomics (IPHG), Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Research School GROW (School for Oncology & Reproduction), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, University of Maastricht, 6200 Maastricht, The Netherlands; (N.C.A.J.); (S.A.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-04-3388-4081
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Clephane K, Lorenz TK. Putative Mental, Physical, and Social Mechanisms of Hormonal Influences on Postpartum Sexuality. Curr Sex Health Rep 2021; 13:136-148. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-021-00321-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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