1
|
Gerede A, Nikolettos K, Vavoulidis E, Margioula-Siarkou C, Petousis S, Giourga M, Fotinopoulos P, Salagianni M, Stavros S, Dinas K, Nikolettos N, Domali E. Vaginal Microbiome and Pregnancy Complications: A Review. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3875. [PMID: 38999442 PMCID: PMC11242209 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13133875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background/Objectives: There are indications that the microbial composition of the maternal mucosal surfaces is associated with adverse events during pregnancy. The aim of this review is to investigate the link between vaginal microbiome alterations and gestational complication risk. Methods: This comprehensive literature review was performed using Medline and Scopus databases. The following search algorithm was used, "Pregnancy Complications" [Mesh] AND (Vagin*), and after the literature screening, 44 studies were included in the final review. Results: The studies that were included investigated the association between vaginal microbial composition and preterm birth, miscarriage, preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, chorioamnionitis, and preterm premature rupture of membranes. In most of the studies, it was well established that increased microbial diversity is associated with these conditions. Also, the depletion of Lactobacillus species is linked to most of the gestational complications, while the increased relative abundance and especially Lactobacillus crispatus may exert a protective effect in favor of the pregnant woman. Several pathogenic taxa including Gardnerella, Prevotella, Sneathia, Bacterial Vaginosis-Associated Bacteria-2, Atopobium, and Megasphera seem to be correlated to higher maternal morbidity. Conclusions: Vaginal microbiome aberrations seem to have an association with pregnancy-related adverse events, but more high-quality homogenous studies are necessary to reliably verify this link.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angeliki Gerede
- Unit of Maternal-Fetal-Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrake, GR-68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Nikolettos
- Unit of Maternal-Fetal-Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrake, GR-68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Eleftherios Vavoulidis
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54640 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Chrysoula Margioula-Siarkou
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54640 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stamatios Petousis
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54640 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Giourga
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Fotinopoulos
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Salagianni
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Sofoklis Stavros
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Dinas
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54640 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Nikolettos
- Unit of Maternal-Fetal-Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrake, GR-68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ekaterini Domali
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-11528 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang H, Zou H, Zhang C, Zhang S. Chronic endometritis and the endometrial microbiota: implications for reproductive success in patients with recurrent implantation failure. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2024; 23:49. [PMID: 38816832 PMCID: PMC11140900 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-024-00710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic endometritis (CE) is associated with poor reproductive outcomes, yet the role of endometrial microbiota in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and CE remains unclear. This study aims to characterize endometrial microbiota in RIF patients with CE and assess its implications for reproductive outcomes. METHODS In this prospective study, we enrolled RIF patients both with and without CE. Endometrial and cervical samples were collected for 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbiota composition was compared between groups using diversity indices, phylum, and genus-level analysis. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to assess relationships between CE, reproductive outcomes, and microbiota. Predictive functional profiling was performed to evaluate metabolic pathways associated with CE. RESULTS Endometrial microbiota in CE patients exhibited greater diversity and evenness compared to non-CE patients. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed distinct clustering between CE and non-CE groups. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) identified Proteobacteria, Aminicenantales, and Chloroflexaceae as characteristic of CE, while Lactobacillus, Acinetobacter, Herbaspirillum, Ralstonia, Shewanela, and Micrococcaceae were associated with non-CE. CCA demonstrated associations between CE, adverse reproductive outcomes, and specific bacterial taxa. Microbial metabolic pathways significantly differed between CE and non-CE groups, with enrichment in pathways related to cofactors, vitamins, secondary metabolites, and the immune system in CE patients. CONCLUSION RIF patients with CE exhibit distinct endometrial microbiota compositions associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. The increased microbial diversity and altered metabolic pathways in CE suggest a potential correlation with reproductive outcomes, although further studies are necessary to elucidate the causal relationship between microbiota alterations and fertility. Modulating the endometrial microbiome may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to improve IVF outcomes in patients with CE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Heng Zou
- The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Chanyu Zhang
- The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
- Joint International Research Lab for Reproduction and Development of Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Shen Zhang
- The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
- Joint International Research Lab for Reproduction and Development of Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sacinti KG, Razeghian H, Awad-Igbaria Y, Lima-Silva J, Palzur E, Vieira-Baptista P, Verstraelen H, Bornstein J. Is Vulvodynia Associated With an Altered Vaginal Microbiota?: A Systematic Review. J Low Genit Tract Dis 2024; 28:64-72. [PMID: 37963335 DOI: 10.1097/lgt.0000000000000780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vulvodynia is defined as vulvar pain of at least 3 months' duration, without clear identifiable cause, which may have potential associated factors. It can have a significant impact on women's quality of life due to a combination of physical pain, emotional distress, and limited treatment options. Despite affecting a considerable number of women worldwide, the causes and underlying mechanisms of vulvodynia remain poorly understood. Given the recognized association of the vaginal microbiota with various gynecologic disorders, there has been growing interest in exploring the potential role of the vaginal microbiota in the etiology of vulvodynia. This systematic review aims to evaluate the current literature on the association between the vaginal microbiota and vulvodynia. MATERIAL AND METHODS A systematic search of multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Ovid MEDLINE, was conducted to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies up to May 12, 2023. The following search terms were used across these databases: "vulvodynia," "vestibulodynia," "vulvar vestibulitis," "microbiome," "microbiota," and "flora." RESULTS A total of 8 case-control studies were included, the quality of which was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data extraction and synthesis were performed using a standardized protocol. In most studies, no major differences were found between the vaginal bacterial composition of women with vulvodynia and that of controls. No specific bacterial taxa were consistently associated with vulvodynia. The relationship between vaginal microbiota diversity and vulvodynia remains to be fully understood. CONCLUSIONS The role of vaginal microbiota in vulvodynia, if any, remains unclear. Because of the cross-sectional nature of the included studies, it is not possible to make any causal inferences. Further research, using larger and more diverse study populations and advanced sequencing techniques, is necessary to gain a better understanding of the potential relationship between the vaginal microbiota and vulvodynia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Joana Lima-Silva
- Lower Genital Tract Unit, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eilam Palzur
- The Research Institute of Galilee Medical Center, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ma Z(S. A new hypothesis on BV etiology: dichotomous and crisscrossing categorization of complex versus simple on healthy versus BV vaginal microbiomes. mSystems 2023; 8:e0004923. [PMID: 37646521 PMCID: PMC10654060 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00049-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE BV may influence as many as one-third of women, but its etiology remains unclear. A traditional view is that dominance by Lactobacillus is the hallmark of a healthy vaginal microbiome and lack of dominance may make women BV-prone. Recent studies show that the human VMs can be classified into five major types, four of which possess type-specific dominant species of Lactobacillus. The remaining one (type IV) is not dominated by Lactobacillus and contains a handful of strictly anaerobic bacteria. Nevertheless, exceptions to the first hypothesis have been noticed from the very beginning, and there is not a definite relationship, suggested yet, between the five VM types and BV status. Here, we propose and test a novel hypothesis that assumes the existence of four VM types from dichotomous crisscrossing of "complex versus simple (high diversity or low dominance versus low diversity or high dominance)" on "healthy versus BV." Consequently, there are simple BV versus complex BV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanshan (Sam) Ma
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Lab of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tuniyazi M, Zhang N. Possible Therapeutic Mechanisms and Future Perspectives of Vaginal Microbiota Transplantation. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1427. [PMID: 37374929 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities inhabiting the human body play a crucial role in protecting the host against pathogens and inflammation. Disruptions to the microbial composition can lead to various health issues. Microbial transfer therapy (MTT) has emerged as a potential treatment option to address such issues. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the most widely used form of MTT and has been successful in treating several diseases. Another form of MTT is vaginal microbiota transplantation (VMT), which involves transferring vaginal microbiota from a healthy female donor to a diseased patient's vaginal cavity with the goal of restoring normal vaginal microbial composition. However, VMT has not been extensively studied due to safety concerns and a lack of research. This paper explores the therapeutic mechanisms of VMT and discusses future perspectives. Further research is necessary to advance the clinical applications and techniques of VMT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maimaiti Tuniyazi
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Naisheng Zhang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hou K, Wu ZX, Chen XY, Wang JQ, Zhang D, Xiao C, Zhu D, Koya JB, Wei L, Li J, Chen ZS. Microbiota in health and diseases. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:135. [PMID: 35461318 PMCID: PMC9034083 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00974-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 544] [Impact Index Per Article: 272.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of microbiota in health and diseases is being highlighted by numerous studies since its discovery. Depending on the localized regions, microbiota can be classified into gut, oral, respiratory, and skin microbiota. The microbial communities are in symbiosis with the host, contributing to homeostasis and regulating immune function. However, microbiota dysbiosis can lead to dysregulation of bodily functions and diseases including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, respiratory diseases, etc. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of how microbiota links to host health or pathogenesis. We first summarize the research of microbiota in healthy conditions, including the gut-brain axis, colonization resistance and immune modulation. Then, we highlight the pathogenesis of microbiota dysbiosis in disease development and progression, primarily associated with dysregulation of community composition, modulation of host immune response, and induction of chronic inflammation. Finally, we introduce the clinical approaches that utilize microbiota for disease treatment, such as microbiota modulation and fecal microbial transplantation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaijian Hou
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Longhu Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515000, China
| | - Zhuo-Xun Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute for Biotechnology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Xuan-Yu Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute for Biotechnology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Jing-Quan Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute for Biotechnology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Dongya Zhang
- Microbiome Research Center, Moon (Guangzhou) Biotech Ltd, Guangzhou, 510535, China
| | - Chuanxing Xiao
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Longhu Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515000, China
| | - Dan Zhu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Longhu Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515000, China
| | - Jagadish B Koya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute for Biotechnology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Liuya Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China
| | - Jilin Li
- Department of Cardiovascular, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515000, China
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute for Biotechnology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Towards a deeper understanding of the vaginal microbiota. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:367-378. [PMID: 35246662 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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.
Collapse
|
8
|
Kellerman C, Malaluang P, Hansson I, Eliasson Selling L, Morrell JM. Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Cervical Microbes of Gilts and Sows. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:117. [PMID: 35011222 PMCID: PMC8749660 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Extenders for boar semen contain antibiotics, which may induce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in inseminated females. The objective was to investigate AMR of bacteria isolated from the cervix of sows and gilts in standing heat, representing females previously exposed to antibiotics in the semen extender and non-exposed females, respectively. Cervical swabs were taken from 30 multiparous sows and 30 gilts prior to their first insemination. After culturing on agar plates, bacterial isolates were identified by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry and antimicrobial minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined. Differences in antibiotic resistance between sows and gilts were analyzed by Chi-squared or Fisher's exact test. Bacteria isolated were mostly Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. and Corynebacterium spp. Higher MICs were observed for isolates from sows than from gilts. Most (>80%) Corynebacterium spp. were resistant to clindamycin; small numbers (<20%) were resistant to gentamicin, penicillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and rifampicin, with no differences between gilts and sows. Corynebacterium from gilts were more often resistant to tetracycline than those from sows (25% vs. 4.17%; p = 0.04). In conclusion, bacteria from the porcine cervix showed low resistance to most antibiotics except for clindamycin, but antibacterial resistance may increase with increasing parity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Kellerman
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7054, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden; (C.K.); (P.M.)
| | - Pongpreecha Malaluang
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7054, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden; (C.K.); (P.M.)
| | - Ingrid Hansson
- Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7036, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | | | - Jane M. Morrell
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7054, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden; (C.K.); (P.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lactobacillus crispatus thrives in pregnancy hormonal milieu in a Nigerian patient cohort. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18152. [PMID: 34518588 PMCID: PMC8437942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96339-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones are one of the presumed modulators of Lactobacillus abundance in the vaginal epithelium. We set out to characterize the vaginal microbiome (VMB) and also provide an in-depth understanding of the relative contribution of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P1) in shaping the vaginal microbiome of Nigerian women (n = 38) who experienced both uncomplicated term delivery and preterm delivery using samples longitudinally collected during pregnancy (17–21, 27–31, 36–41 weeks gestation) and 6 weeks postpartum. Vaginal swabs and blood samples were aseptically collected. Vaginal swabs were used for microbiome assessment using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. Blood samples were used for hormonal measurement using a competitive-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Across several maternal covariates, maternal age, pregnancy status and delivery mode were not significantly associated with the vaginal microbiota whereas maternal E2 level (pE2 = 0.006, Omnibus), and P1 level (pP1 = 0.001, Omnibus) were significantly associated with the vaginal microbiome. E2 and P1 concentrations increased throughout pregnancy commensurately with increasing proportions of L. crispatus (pE2 = 0.036, pP1 = 0.034, Linear Mixed Model). An increasing trend of α-diversity was also observed as pregnancy progressed (pobserved ASV = 0.006, LMM). A compositional microbiome shift from Lactobacillus profile to non-Lactobacillus profile was observed in most postnatal women (pCST IV < 0.001, LMM). Analysis of our data shows a species-specific link between pregnancy steroid hormone concentration and L. crispatus abundance.
Collapse
|
10
|
Ma ZS. Evaluating the Assembly Dynamics in the Human Vaginal Microbiomes With Niche-Neutral Hybrid Modeling. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:699939. [PMID: 34489890 PMCID: PMC8417885 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.699939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Using 2,733 longitudinal vaginal microbiome samples (representing local microbial communities) from 79 individuals (representing meta-communities) in the states of healthy, BV (bacterial vaginosis) and pregnancy, we assess and interpret the relative importance of stochastic forces (e.g., stochastic drifts in bacteria demography, and stochastic dispersal) vs. deterministic selection (e.g., host genome, and host physiology) in shaping the dynamics of human vaginal microbiome (HVM) diversity by an integrated analysis with multi-site neutral (MSN) and niche-neutral hybrid (NNH) modeling. It was found that, when the traditional “default” P-value = 0.05 was specified, the neutral drifts were predominant (≥50% metacommunities indistinguishable from the MSN prediction), while the niche differentiations were moderate (<20% from the NNH prediction). The study also analyzed two challenging uncertainties in testing the neutral and/or niche-neutral hybrid models, i.e., lack of full model specificity – non-unique fittings of same datasets to multiple models with potentially different mechanistic assumptions – and lack of definite rules for setting the P-value thresholds (also noted as Pt-value when referring to the threshold of P-value in this article) in testing null hypothesis (model). Indeed, the two uncertainties can be interdependent, which further complicates the statistical inferences. To deal with the uncertainties, the MSN/NNH test results under a series of P-values ranged from 0.05 to 0.95 were presented. Furthermore, the influence of P-value threshold-setting on the model specificity, and the effects of woman’s health status on the neutrality level of HVM were examined. It was found that with the increase of P-value threshold from 0.05 to 0.95, the overlap (non-unique) fitting of MSN and NNH decreased from 29.1 to 1.3%, whereas the specificity (uniquely fitted to data) of MSN model was kept between 55.7 and 82.3%. Also with the rising P-value threshold, the difference between healthy and BV groups become significant. These findings suggested that traditional single P-value threshold (such as the de facto standard P-value = 0.05) might be insufficient for testing the neutral and/or niche neutral hybrid models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanshan Sam Ma
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Flaviani F, Hezelgrave NL, Kanno T, Prosdocimi EM, Chin-Smith E, Ridout AE, von Maydell DK, Mistry V, Wade WG, Shennan AH, Dimitrakopoulou K, Seed PT, Mason AJ, Tribe RM. Cervicovaginal microbiota and metabolome predict preterm birth risk in an ethnically diverse cohort. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e149257. [PMID: 34255744 PMCID: PMC8410012 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.149257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The syndrome of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) presents a challenge to mechanistic understanding, effective risk stratification, and clinical management. Individual associations between sPTB, self-reported ethnic ancestry, vaginal microbiota, metabolome, and innate immune response are known but not fully understood, and knowledge has yet to impact clinical practice. Here, we used multi–data type integration and composite statistical models to gain insight into sPTB risk by exploring the cervicovaginal environment of an ethnically heterogenous pregnant population (n = 346 women; n = 60 sPTB < 37 weeks’ gestation, including n = 27 sPTB < 34 weeks). Analysis of cervicovaginal samples (10–15+6 weeks) identified potentially novel interactions between risk of sPTB and microbiota, metabolite, and maternal host defense molecules. Statistical modeling identified a composite of metabolites (leucine, tyrosine, aspartate, lactate, betaine, acetate, and Ca2+) associated with risk of sPTB < 37 weeks (AUC 0.752). A combination of glucose, aspartate, Ca2+, Lactobacillus crispatus, and L. acidophilus relative abundance identified risk of early sPTB < 34 weeks (AUC 0.758), improved by stratification by ethnicity (AUC 0.835). Increased relative abundance of L. acidophilus appeared protective against sPTB < 34 weeks. By using cervicovaginal fluid samples, we demonstrate the potential of multi–data type integration for developing composite models toward understanding the contribution of the vaginal environment to risk of sPTB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Flaviani
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine.,Translational Bioinformatics Platform, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Natasha L Hezelgrave
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| | - Tokuwa Kanno
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, and
| | - Erica M Prosdocimi
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Evonne Chin-Smith
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| | - Alexandra E Ridout
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| | - Djuna K von Maydell
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, and
| | - Vikash Mistry
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| | - William G Wade
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew H Shennan
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| | - Konstantina Dimitrakopoulou
- Translational Bioinformatics Platform, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Paul T Seed
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, and
| | - Rachel M Tribe
- Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
EVO100 prevents chlamydia and gonorrhea in women at high risk of infection. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021; 225:162.e1-162.e14. [PMID: 33705748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of infection for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are increasing in the United States. EVO100 is an investigational antimicrobial, pH-modulating, vaginal gel with active ingredients L-lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate that is being evaluated for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. OBJECTIVE The objective of this phase 2B/3 study was to assess the efficacy and safety of EVO100 for the prevention of chlamydia and gonorrhea. STUDY DESIGN AMPREVENCE was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study based in the United States conducted over approximately 16 weeks in women at the age of 18 to 45 years who were at risk of urogenital chlamydia and gonorrhea infection. Enrolled women had been diagnosed as having and treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea ≤16 weeks before enrollment. Women received either EVO100 or placebo vaginal gel and were instructed to apply the study drug immediately before or up to 1 hour before each act of vaginal sexual intercourse. The primary and secondary endpoints were the prevention of urogenital chlamydia and gonorrhea, respectively. Exploratory outcomes include women's overall satisfaction with EVO100. RESULTS In total, 860 women were randomized 1:1 to receive EVO100 (n=426) or placebo (n=434), and 764 women (EVO100, n=376; placebo, n=388) were documented as using the study drug at least once. Baseline characteristics were similar between treatment arms. Overall, women had a mean age of 27.7 years (standard deviation, 6.9) and body mass index of 28.9 kg/m2 (standard deviation, 8.0). Most women were of White (54.3% [467 of 860]) or African American (41.6% [358 of 860]) race and of non-Hispanic/Latina ethnicity (67.1% [577 of 860]). The chlamydia infection rate in EVO100 users was 4.8% (14 of 289) compared with 9.7% (28 of 290) among placebo users (P=.0256), representing a relative risk reduction of 50%. For gonorrhea, the infection rate was 0.7% (2 of 280) in the EVO100 arm compared with 3.2% (9 of 277) in the placebo arm (P=.0316), representing a relative risk reduction of 78%. Increased efficacy was observed with increased adherence, and chlamydia infection rates were significantly reduced with increased adherence in the EVO100 group compared with placebo. Across both arms, there were similar rates of all-cause adverse events (EVO100, 21.3% [80 of 376]; placebo, 20.4% [79 of 388]) and treatment-related adverse events (EVO100, 7.2% [27 of 376]; placebo, 7.5% [29 of 388]). The most common adverse events in the EVO100 arm were vulvovaginal candidiasis (5.1% [19 of 376]), vaginal discharge (3.2% [12 of 376]), and urinary tract infection (3.2% [12 of 376]) and, in the placebo arm, bacterial vaginosis (4.6% [18 of 388]), urinary tract infection (2.6% [10 of 388]), and vaginal discharge (2.6% [10 of 388]). Few women discontinued owing to adverse events in either arm (EVO100, 1.1% [4 of 376]; placebo, 1.5% [6 of 388]). No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported. Most EVO100 users (88%) were satisfied or very satisfied with EVO100 after 16 weeks of use. CONCLUSION EVO100 significantly reduced the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in women at high risk of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection and was well tolerated, with observed adverse events consistent with its known safety profile.
Collapse
|
13
|
Auriemma RS, Scairati R, Del Vecchio G, Liccardi A, Verde N, Pirchio R, Pivonello R, Ercolini D, Colao A. The Vaginal Microbiome: A Long Urogenital Colonization Throughout Woman Life. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:686167. [PMID: 34295836 PMCID: PMC8290858 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.686167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaginal microbial niche is a dynamic ecosystem, composed by more than 200 bacterial species which are influenced by genes, ethnic background and environmental-behavioral factors. Several lines of evidence have well documented that vaginal microbiome constantly changes over the course of woman’s life, so to exert an important impact on woman quality of life, from newborn to post-menopausal ages. This review aims at analyzing the role of vaginal microbiome in the maintenance of woman’s homeostasis and at tracking critical changes that commonly occur across woman’s lifetime. The role of hormone replacement therapy in the modulation of vaginal microbiome composition and in the improvement of vaginal wellness in postmenopausal women with decreasing levels of circulating estrogen is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renata S Auriemma
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Scairati
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Guendalina Del Vecchio
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessia Liccardi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Nunzia Verde
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Pirchio
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Rosario Pivonello
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Danilo Ercolini
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Annamaria Colao
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy.,United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Chair for Health Education and Sustainable Development, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Salliss ME, Maarsingh JD, Garza C, Łaniewski P, Herbst-Kralovetz MM. Veillonellaceae family members uniquely alter the cervical metabolic microenvironment in a human three-dimensional epithelial model. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2021; 7:57. [PMID: 34230496 PMCID: PMC8260719 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-021-00229-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a gynecologic disorder characterized by a shift in cervicovaginal microbiota from Lactobacillus spp. dominance to a polymicrobial biofilm composed of diverse anaerobes. We utilized a well-characterized human three-dimensional cervical epithelial cell model in conjunction with untargeted metabolomics and immunoproteomics analyses to determine the immunometabolic contribution of three members of the Veillonellaceae family: Veillonella atypica, Veillonella montpellierensis and Megasphaera micronuciformis at this site. We found that Veillonella spp. infections induced significant elevation of polyamines. M. micronuciformis infections significantly increased soluble inflammatory mediators, induced moderate levels of cell cytotoxicity, and accumulation of cell membrane lipids relative to Veillonella spp. Notably, both V. atypica and V. montpellierensis infections resulted in consumption of lactate, a key metabolite linked to gynecologic and reproductive health. Collectively our approach and data provide unique insights into the specific contributions of Veillonellaceae members to the pathogenesis of BV and women's health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Salliss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Jason D Maarsingh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Camryn Garza
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Paweł Łaniewski
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Melissa M Herbst-Kralovetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Joseph RJ, Ser HL, Kuai YH, Tan LTH, Arasoo VJT, Letchumanan V, Wang L, Pusparajah P, Goh BH, Ab Mutalib NS, Chan KG, Lee LH. Finding a Balance in the Vaginal Microbiome: How Do We Treat and Prevent the Occurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis? Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:719. [PMID: 34203908 PMCID: PMC8232816 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10060719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been reported in one-third of women worldwide at different life stages, due to the complex balance in the ecology of the vaginal microbiota. It is a common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge and is associated with other health issues. Since the first description of anaerobic microbes associated with BV like Gardnerella vaginalis in the 1950s, researchers have stepped up the game by incorporating advanced molecular tools to monitor and evaluate the extent of dysbiosis within the vaginal microbiome, particularly on how specific microbial population changes compared to a healthy state. Moreover, treatment failure and BV recurrence rate remain high despite the standard antibiotic treatment. Consequently, researchers have been probing into alternative or adjunct treatments, including probiotics or even vaginal microbiota transplants, to ensure successful treatment outcomes and reduce the colonization by pathogenic microbes of the female reproductive tract. The current review summarizes the latest findings in probiotics use for BV and explores the potential of vaginal microbiota transplants in restoring vaginal health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Jane Joseph
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
| | - Hooi-Leng Ser
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
| | - Yi-He Kuai
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
| | - Loh Teng-Hern Tan
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
- Clinical School Johor Bahru, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Johor Bahru 80100, Malaysia;
| | | | - Vengadesh Letchumanan
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
| | - Lijing Wang
- Vascular Biology Research Institute, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Priyia Pusparajah
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
| | - Bey-Hing Goh
- Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research Group (BMEX), School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia;
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), UKM Medical Centre, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Kok-Gan Chan
- Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- International Genome Centre, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Learn-Han Lee
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD), Microbes and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia; (R.J.J.); (H.-L.S.); (Y.-H.K.); (L.T.-H.T.); (V.L.); (P.P.); (N.-S.A.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Vaginal microbiome: normalcy vs dysbiosis. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:3793-3802. [PMID: 34120200 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02414-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It has been long understood that the vaginal microflora is crucial in maintaining a normal physiological environment for the host and its involvement is deemed indispensable for reproductive success. A global concept of normalcy vs. dysbiosis of vaginal microbiome is debatable as women of different races have a unique vaginal microflora with regional variations. Vaginal microflora is a dynamic microenvironment affected by gestational status, menstrual cycle, sexual activity, age, and contraceptive use. Normal vaginal flora is dominated by lactobacilli especially in women of European descent vs. African American women. These microbes confer the host vagina protection from potentially pathogenic microbes that may lead to urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Changes in the vaginal microbiota including reduced lactobacilli abundance and increased facultative and anaerobic organism populations result in bacterial vaginosis, that predisposes the host to several conditions like low birth weight and increased risk of contracting bacterial infections. On the other hand, the vaginal microbiome is also reshaped during pregnancy, with less microbial diversity with a dominance of Lactobacillus species. However, an altered vaginal microbiota with low lactobacilli abundance especially during pregnancy may result in induction of excessive inflammation and pre-term labor. Since the vaginal microbiome plays an important role during embryo implantation, it is not surprising that bacterial vaginosis is more common in infertile women and associated with reduced rates of conception. Probiotic has great success in treating bacterial vaginosis and restoring the normal microbiome in recent. This report, reviewed the relationships between the vaginal microbiome and women's reproductive health.
Collapse
|
17
|
In silico trio-biomarkers for bacterial vaginosis revealed by species dominance network analysis. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2979-2989. [PMID: 34136097 PMCID: PMC8170074 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BV (bacterial vaginosis) influences 20%–40% of women but its etiology is still poorly understood. An open question about the BV is which of the hundreds of bacteria found in the human vaginal microbiome (HVM) are the major force driving the vaginal microbiota dysbiosis. Here, we recast the question of microbial causality of BV by asking if there are any prevalent ‘signatures’ (network motifs) in the vaginal microbiome networks associated with it? We apply a new framework [species dominance network analysis by Ma & Ellison (2019): Ecological Monographs) to detect critical structures in HVM networks associated with BV risks and etiology. We reanalyzed the 16 s-rRNA gene sequencing datasets of a mixed-cohort of 25 BV patients and healthy women. In these datasets, we detected 15 trio-motifs that occurred exclusively in BV patients. We failed to find any of these 15 trio-motifs in three additional cohorts of 1535 healthy women. Most member-species of the 15 trio motifs are BV-associated anaerobic bacteria (BVAB), Ravel’s community-state type indicators, or the most dominant species; virtually all species interactions in these trios are high-salience skeletons, suggesting that those trios are strongly connected ‘cults’ associated with the occurrence of BV. The presence of the trio motifs unique to BV may act as indicators for its personalized diagnosis and could help elucidate a more mechanistic interpretation of its risks and etiology. We caution that scarcity of large longitudinal datasets of HVM also limited further verifications of our findings, and these findings require further clinical tests to launch their applications.
Collapse
Key Words
- ABV, asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis
- BV (Bacterial vaginosis)
- BV, bacterial vaginosis
- BV-associated anaerobic bacteria (BVAB)
- BVAB, BV-associated anaerobic bacteria
- CPN, core/periphery network
- CST, community state type
- Community dominance
- Core/periphery network (CPN)
- DSR, diversity-stability relationship
- Diversity-stability relationship (DSR)
- HEA, healthy treatment
- HSN, high-salience skeleton network
- HVM, human vaginal microbiome
- High-salience skeleton networks (HSN)
- MAO, most abundant species or OTU
- MDO, most dominant species or OTU
- OTU, operational taxonomic unit
- SBV, symptomatic BV
- SDN, species dominance network
- Species dominance
- Species dominance network (SDN)
Collapse
|
18
|
Mahdavinezhad F, Gharaei R, Farmani AR, Hashemi F, Kouhestani M, Amidi F. The Potential Relationship Between Different Human Female Reproductive Disorders and Sperm Quality in Female Genital Tract. Reprod Sci 2021; 29:695-710. [PMID: 33852138 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-021-00520-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Spermatozoa should travel throughout the female reproductive tract to reach its ultimate goal, fertilization of the oocyte. At the ejaculation moment, millions of sperm within a few milliliters of the ejaculate are deposited at the cranial segment of vagina and make their journey to the fertilization site. This is done by means of various factors, such as sperm motility, the uterine and fallopian tubes contractility, and the ciliary movement of the lining cells. During this migration, spermatozoa interact with the female microenvironment both physically and molecularly. In this regard, the quality of the environmental conditions may affect this interaction. Therefore, some alterations in women's genital tract microenvironment, such as conditions that occur in female reproductive disorders, may have detrimental effects on sperm reproductive function. In this review, human sperm migration through the female tract is described, and the potential effects of different reproductive disorders at reproductive organs, such as vagina, uterine cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovary on sperm survival and quality, are also argued. The understanding of those conditions that may impair sperm fertility in the female genital tract can provide a more accurate diagnosis of the causes of infertility in couples. This can ultimately lead to the discovery of effective treatment approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Forough Mahdavinezhad
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roghaye Gharaei
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Reza Farmani
- Department of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farideh Hashemi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Kouhestani
- Department of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fardin Amidi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Infertility, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Assessing the Genomic Variability of Gardnerella vaginalis through Comparative Genomic Analyses: Evolutionary and Ecological Implications. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 87:AEM.02188-20. [PMID: 33097505 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02188-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Gardnerella vaginalis is described as a common anaerobic vaginal bacterium whose presence may correlate with vaginal dysbiotic conditions. In the current study, we performed phylogenomic analyses of 72 G. vaginalis genome sequences, revealing noteworthy genome differences underlying a polyphyletic organization of this taxon. Particularly, the genomic survey revealed that this species may actually include nine distinct genotypes (GGtype1 to GGtype9). Furthermore, the observed link between sialidase and phylogenomic grouping provided clues of a connection between virulence potential and the evolutionary history of this microbial taxon. Specifically, based on the outcomes of these in silico analyses, GGtype3, GGtype7, GGtype8, and GGtype9 appear to have virulence potential since they exhibited the sialidase gene in their genomes. Notably, the analysis of 34 publicly available vaginal metagenomic samples allowed us to trace the distribution of the nine G. vaginalis genotypes identified in this study among the human population, highlighting how differences in genetic makeup could be related to specific ecological properties. Furthermore, comparative genomic analyses provided details about the G. vaginalis pan- and core genome contents, including putative genetic elements involved in the adaptation to the ecological niche as well as many putative virulence factors. Among these putative virulence factors, particularly noteworthy genes identified were the gene encoding cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) toxin vaginolysin and genes related to microbial biofilm formation, iron uptake, adhesion to the vaginal epithelium, as well as macrolide antibiotic resistance.IMPORTANCE The identification of nine different genotypes among members of G. vaginalis allowed us to distinguish an uneven distribution of virulence-associated genetic traits within this taxon and thus suggest the potential occurrence of putative pathogen and commensal G. vaginalis strains. These findings, coupled with metagenomics microbial profiling of human vaginal microbiota, permitted us to get insights into the distribution of the genotypes among the human population, highlighting the presence of different structural communities in terms of G. vaginalis genotypes.
Collapse
|
20
|
Jayaram PM, Mohan MK, Konje J. Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy - a storm in the cup of tea. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020; 253:220-224. [PMID: 32889328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Human vaginal microbiota is dominated by Lactobacillus spp both in the non-pregnant and pregnant state. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an imbalance of vaginal microbiota caused by a reduction in the normal lactobacillary bacteria, and a heavy over-growth of mixed anaerobic bacteria. Various clinical (Amsel's Criteria), laboratory (Nugent's score) and molecular diagnostic method (quantitative PCR) are used for diagnosis. BV in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, chorioamnionitis and postpartum endometritis, apart from bothersome vaginal discharge. Antibiotic treatment with metronidazole or clindamycin are effective in eradicating bacterial vaginosis and safe to use in pregnancy. Treatment of bacterial vaginosis has not been shown to improve obstetric outcomes in women at low risk of preterm birth, but may reduce the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight in women at increased risk of preterm birth. Routine screening and treatment is not recommended in low risk women. Test for cure should be performed after treatment. Further research is required on other treatment modalities such as probiotic therapy and microbiota transplantation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep M Jayaram
- Sidra Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College, PO Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Manoj K Mohan
- Sidra Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College, PO Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Justin Konje
- Sidra Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College, PO Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Daily Vaginal Microbiota Fluctuations Associated with Natural Hormonal Cycle, Contraceptives, Diet, and Exercise. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00593-20. [PMID: 32641429 PMCID: PMC7343982 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00593-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The vaginal microbiome is a critical component of women’s sexual and reproductive health, with variations in microbial composition, particularly the loss of Lactobacillus species, being implicated in gynecologic and obstetric diseases. Given that the vaginal microbiome is so crucial, why do vaginal microbial profiles vary strikingly from person to person and even change over time within the same person? In the present study, which tracked the daily vaginal microbiomes of young healthy women through different lifestyles, we found that use of a locally released progestin contraceptive, a vegetarian diet, and intense exercise appear to lead to vaginal microbiome alterations and loss of Lactobacillus species. The impact of these vaginal microbiome changes on immediate and long-term health remain to be investigated. The microorganisms of the vaginal tract are critical for vaginal and reproductive health. However, the regulation of these microorganisms is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated whether different factors regulate the vaginal microbiota of healthy college-aged women (n = 26) with high temporal resolution by collecting daily self-administered vaginal swabs and using 16S rRNA sequencing for bacterial identification. As expected, vaginal microbiota clustered into five predefined community state types. Vaginal microbial diversity, stability, and Lactobacillus abundances were associated with the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use. Vaginal microbial diversity, as measured using the Shannon index, increased during menses (P < 0.001), while Lactobacillus abundances decreased (P = 0.01). The covariance of these microbial measures with previously established estradiol levels suggests that estrogens can regulate vaginal microbiota. Moreover, the use of hormonal contraceptives may alter the temporal dynamics of the vaginal microbiota and decrease Lactobacillus abundances, depending on hormonal content and release method. Interestingly, intrasample diversity was greater in participants on a vegetarian diet (P = 0.004) and among participants who exercised more (P = 0.04). These findings indicate that ovarian hormones, diet, and exercise can regulate vaginal microbial composition and stability and may impact vaginal and reproductive health. IMPORTANCE The vaginal microbiome is a critical component of women’s sexual and reproductive health, with variations in microbial composition, particularly the loss of Lactobacillus species, being implicated in gynecologic and obstetric diseases. Given that the vaginal microbiome is so crucial, why do vaginal microbial profiles vary strikingly from person to person and even change over time within the same person? In the present study, which tracked the daily vaginal microbiomes of young healthy women through different lifestyles, we found that use of a locally released progestin contraceptive, a vegetarian diet, and intense exercise appear to lead to vaginal microbiome alterations and loss of Lactobacillus species. The impact of these vaginal microbiome changes on immediate and long-term health remain to be investigated.
Collapse
|
22
|
Critical Network Structures and Medical Ecology Mechanisms Underlying Human Microbiome-Associated Diseases. iScience 2020; 23:101195. [PMID: 32559728 PMCID: PMC7303986 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental problem in studies on human microbiome-associated diseases (MADs) is to understand the relationships between microbiome structures and health status of hosts. For example, species diversity metrics have been routinely evaluated in virtually all studies on MADs, yet a recent meta-analysis revealed that, in only approximately one-third of the cases, diversity and diseases were related. In this study, we ask whether Hubbell's neutral theory (supplemented with the normalized stochasticity ratio [NSR]) or critical microbiome network structures may offer better alternatives. Whereas neutral theory and NSR focus on stochastic processes, we use core/periphery and high-salience skeleton networks to evaluate deterministic, asymmetrical niche effects, assuming that all species or their interactions were not “born” equal and focusing on non-neutral, critical network structures. We found that properties of critical network structures are more indicative of disease effects. Finally, seven findings (mechanisms, interpretations, and postulations) regarding medical ecology mechanisms underlying MADs were summarized. Seven findings (mechanisms/interpretations/postulations) of medical ecology proposed Critical network structures more indicative of disease effects than ecology metrics One-third seems ceiling of diversity-disease relations, half to two-thirds of network structures Super resilience (unexplained one-third to half gap) is likely attributed to host genome
Collapse
|
23
|
O'Connell TM. The Application of Metabolomics to Probiotic and Prebiotic Interventions in Human Clinical Studies. Metabolites 2020; 10:metabo10030120. [PMID: 32213886 PMCID: PMC7143099 DOI: 10.3390/metabo10030120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an ever-increasing appreciation for our gut microbiota that plays a crucial role in the maintenance of health, as well as the development of disease. Probiotics are live bacteria that are consumed to increase the population of beneficial bacteria and prebiotics are dietary substrates intended to promote the propagation of beneficial bacteria. In order to optimize the use of probiotics and prebiotics, a more complete biochemical understanding of the impact that these treatments have on the community and functioning of the gut microbiota is required. Nucleic acid sequencing methods can provide highly detailed information on the composition of the microbial communities but provide less information on the actual function. As bacteria impart much of their influence on the host through the production of metabolites, there is much to be learned by the application of metabolomics. The focus of this review is on the use of metabolomics in the study of probiotic and prebiotic treatments in the context of human clinical trials. Assessment of the current state of this research will help guide the design of future studies to further elucidate the biochemical mechanism by which probiotics and prebiotics function and pave the way toward more personalized applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M O'Connell
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Barrientos-Durán A, Fuentes-López A, de Salazar A, Plaza-Díaz J, García F. Reviewing the Composition of Vaginal Microbiota: Inclusion of Nutrition and Probiotic Factors in the Maintenance of Eubiosis. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12020419. [PMID: 32041107 PMCID: PMC7071153 DOI: 10.3390/nu12020419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The vaginal microbiota has importance in preserving vaginal health and defending the host against disease. The advent of new molecular techniques and computer science has allowed researchers to discover microbial composition in depth and associate the structure of vaginal microbial communities. There is a consensus that vaginal flora is grouped into a restricted number of communities, although the structure of the community is constantly changing. Certain Community-State Types (CSTs) are more associated with poor reproductive outcomes and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) meanwhile, CSTs dominated by Lactobacillus species—particularly Lactobacillus crispatus—are more related to vaginal health. In this work, we have reviewed how modifiable and non-modifiable factors may affect normal vaginal microbiota homeostasis—including sexual behavior, race or ethnicity, and hygiene. Special interest has been given to how the use of probiotics, diet intake, and use of hormone replacement therapies (HRTs) can potentially impact vaginal microbiota composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Barrientos-Durán
- Hospital Clínico Universitario San Cecilio, Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigación ibs. GRANADA, Avenida de la Ilustración S/N, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Ana Fuentes-López
- Hospital Clínico Universitario San Cecilio, Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigación ibs. GRANADA, Avenida de la Ilustración S/N, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Adolfo de Salazar
- Hospital Clínico Universitario San Cecilio, Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigación ibs. GRANADA, Avenida de la Ilustración S/N, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Julio Plaza-Díaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology “José Mataix”, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs GRANADA, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada, 18014 Granada, Spain
| | - Federico García
- Hospital Clínico Universitario San Cecilio, Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigación ibs. GRANADA, Avenida de la Ilustración S/N, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Mark KS, Brotman RM, Martinez-Greiwe S, Terplan M, Bavoil P, Ravel J. Chlamydia in adolescent/adult reproductive management trial study (CHARM): Clinical core protocol. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2019; 16:100414. [PMID: 31646213 PMCID: PMC6804429 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is a common sexually transmitted pathogen with significant reproductive health implications. Data are mounting that the bacterial communities that reside within the vagina, collectively termed the vaginal microbiota, aid in defense against sexually transmitted infections. Disruptions in the vaginal microbiota, such as during episodes of bacterial vaginosis, may increase susceptibility to infection. Herein, we describe the clinical core protocol for a NIH NIAID Cooperative Research Center titled Eco-Pathogenomic of Chlamydial Reproductive Tract Infection. The primary goals of the project are to describe the interrelationships between the urogenital microenvironment, the properties of the pathogen and immunologic responses of the host in men and women, and their association with clinical outcomes of CT infection in women. METHODS Men and women with confirmed genital CT infections were recruited to a number of study protocols, including cross-sectional and longitudinal sub-studies. Participants completed a demographic and sexual health questionnaire and underwent a physical exam at baseline. In the longitudinal study arms, biologic samples were collected daily, weekly, and monthly to determine the relationships between the vaginal microbiota, prevalent CT infection, re-infection and treatment. DISCUSSION The biological samples and the demographic and history information collected throughout this study will be used for various analyses evaluating genomics, metabolomics and host immune responses in the context of CT infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katrina S. Mark
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| | - Rebecca M. Brotman
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
- Institute for Genomic Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| | - Sebastian Martinez-Greiwe
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| | - Mishka Terplan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States
| | - Patrik Bavoil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, United States
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genomic Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Li
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Zhan-Shan Sam Ma
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China, E-mail:.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
King JB, Carter AC, Dai W, Lee JW, Kil YS, Du L, Helff SK, Cai S, Huddle BC, Cichewicz RH. Design and Application of a High-Throughput, High-Content Screening System for Natural Product Inhibitors of the Human Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:1456-1470. [PMID: 31265248 PMCID: PMC10782576 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It is estimated that Trichomonas vaginalis affects an astonishing 3.9% of the world's population, and while many of those infected are asymptomatic, progression of the disease can lead to serious health problems. Currently, the nitroimidazoles constitute the only drug class approved to treat trichomoniasis in the United States, which makes the spread of drug resistance a realistic concern. We developed a new image-based, high-throughput, and high-content assay for testing natural products (purified compounds and extracts) for antitrichomonal activity. Applying this assay system to a library of fungal natural product extracts led to the identification of three general classes of natural product inhibitors that exhibited moderate to strong activities against T. vaginalis: anthraquinones, xanthone-anthraquinone heterodimers, and decalin-linked tetramic-acid-containing metabolites. The tetramate natural products emerged as the most promising candidate molecules with pyrrolocin A (51) exhibiting potent activity against the parasite (EC50 = 60 nM), yet this metabolite showed limited toxicity to mammalian cell lines (selectivity index values of 100 and 167 versus 3T3 fibroblast and Ect1 normal cervical cells, respectively). The imaging-based assay system is a powerful tool for the bioassay-guided purification of single-component antitrichomonal biomolecules from complex natural product mixtures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jarrod B. King
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Adam C. Carter
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Wentao Dai
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Jin Woo Lee
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Yun-Seo Kil
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Lin Du
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Sara K. Helff
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Shengxin Cai
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Brandt C. Huddle
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| | - Robert H. Cichewicz
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Room 1000, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, United States
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Mattei V, Murugesan S, Al Hashmi M, Mathew R, James N, Singh P, Kumar M, Lakshmanan AP, Terranegra A, Al Khodor S, Tomei S. Evaluation of Methods for the Extraction of Microbial DNA From Vaginal Swabs Used for Microbiome Studies. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:197. [PMID: 31245304 PMCID: PMC6563847 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The composition of the microbiome in human body sites plays an important role in health. The vaginal environment is colonized by several species of bacteria that have a major influence on reproductive health. The advancement of sequencing technologies has made the assessment of the composition of the microbiota possible through microbial DNA extraction and sequencing. Therefore, it is of a paramount importance to select a sensitive and reproducible DNA extraction method, that facilitates isolation of microbial DNA with a sufficient quantity and purity, from microbial species living in the vaginal environment. Here, we have evaluated four different DNA extraction protocols from self-collected vaginal swabs. Methods: Five healthy female volunteers were enrolled in the study. Each donor was asked to self-collect 4 samples using Copan ESwab. DNA was extracted using Qiagen DNeasy kit and three modified protocols of the MoBio PowerSoil kit ("DNeasy PowerSoil" after acquisition from Qiagen). DNA quantity and integrity was checked through Nanodrop and LabChip GX. DNA was further tested through quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and 16S sequencing. Vaginal microbiota diversities were determined using MiSeq-Illumina high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rDNA V1-V3 fingerprint. Sequencing data were analyzed using QIIME pipeline. Results: Qiagen DNeasy protocol resulted in the highest DNA yield as compared to the modified protocols of MoBio Powersoil kit. The size of the DNA extracted using each protocol was ~40 kb. Qiagen DNeasy protocol gave the highest Genomic Quality Score (average ± standard deviation: 4.24 ± 0.36), followed by the different MoBio Powersoil protocols. A substantial variability in microbial DNA abundance was found across the protocols. The vaginal microbiota of the healthy volunteers was dominated by Lactobacillus species. MoBio Powersoil kit provided a significantly higher alpha diversity as compared to the Qiagen DNeasy kit, while beta diversity measures did not reveal any significant cluster changes, except when the Bray-Curtis method was applied. Conclusion: We were able to isolate microbial DNA from the vaginal swabs. Qiagen DNeasy method gave the highest DNA yield and quality but was not optimal in detecting microbial diversity. The modified MoBio PowerSoil protocols showed higher microbial diversities as compared to the standard protocol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Parul Singh
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | | | - Sara Tomei
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ma ZS, Li L, Gotelli NJ. Diversity-disease relationships and shared species analyses for human microbiome-associated diseases. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:1911-1919. [PMID: 30894688 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0395-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Diversity indices have been routinely computed in the study of human microbiome-associated diseases (MADs). However, it is still unclear whether there is a consistent diversity-disease relationship (DDR) for the human MADs, and whether there are consistent differences in the taxonomic composition of microbiomes sampled from healthy versus diseased individuals. Here we reanalyzed raw data and used a meta-analysis to compare the microbiome diversity and composition of healthy versus diseased individuals in 41 comparisons extracted from 27 previously published studies of human MADs. In the DDR analysis, the average effect size across studies did not differ from zero for a comparison of healthy versus diseased individuals. In 30 of 41 comparisons (73%) there was no significant difference in microbiome diversity of healthy versus diseased individuals, or of different disease classes. For the species composition analysis (shared species analysis), the effect sizes were significantly different from zero. In 33 of 41 comparisons (80%), there were fewer OTUs (operational taxonomic units) shared between healthy and diseased individuals than expected by chance, but with 49% (20 of 41 comparisons) statistically significant. These results imply that the taxonomic composition of disease-associated microbiomes is often distinct from that of healthy individuals. Because species composition changes with disease state, some microbiome OTUs may serve as potential diagnostic indicators of disease. However, the overall species diversity of human microbiomes is not a reliable indicator of disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanshan Sam Ma
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
| | - Lianwei Li
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Nicholas J Gotelli
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont Burlington, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ma Z(S, Ellison AM. Dominance network analysis provides a new framework for studying the diversity–stability relationship. ECOL MONOGR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanshan (Sam) Ma
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming 650223 China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming 650223 China
| | - Aaron M. Ellison
- Harvard University Harvard Forest, 324 North Main Street Petersham Massachusetts 01366 USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Ma Z(S, Ellison AM. A unified concept of dominance applicable at both community and species scales. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanshan (Sam) Ma
- Computational Biology and Medical Ecology Lab State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming 650223 China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming 650223 China
| | - Aaron M. Ellison
- Harvard University, Harvard Forest 324 North Main Street Petersham Massachusetts 01366 USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Vadala M, Testa C, Coda L, Angioletti S, Giuberti R, Laurino C, Palmieri B. Vulvovestibular Syndrome and Vaginal Microbiome: A Simple Evaluation. J Clin Med Res 2018; 10:688-692. [PMID: 30116438 PMCID: PMC6089573 DOI: 10.14740/jocmr3480w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The vulvovestibular syndrome (VVS) is a chronic, inflammatory, multifactorial, chronic inflammation of the female urogenital access. Methods The aim of this anecdotal, observational, retrospective, case-control study was to comparatively evaluate the most common bacterial strains (Lactobacillus spp., Klebsiella spp., Gardnerella spp., and Streptococcus spp.) and fungi (Candida spp., Pennicillum spp., and Aspergillus spp.) in vulvodinic women, and in women without gynecological symptoms (control group). Results We found that vulvodinic patients had statistically lower Lactobacilli and higher total Fungi concentration. Conclusions Our preliminary study is useful to further clarify the etiopathology of vulvodynia and suggest new therapeutic strategies for approaching the VVS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vadala
- Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Surgical Clinic, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy.,Second Opinion Medical Network, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy
| | - Christian Testa
- Functionalpoint srl, Via dell' Industria, 7, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Carmen Laurino
- Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Surgical Clinic, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy.,Second Opinion Medical Network, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy
| | - Beniamino Palmieri
- Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Surgical Clinic, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy.,Second Opinion Medical Network, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124 Modena, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Tamarelle J, Thiébaut ACM, de Barbeyrac B, Bébéar C, Ravel J, Delarocque-Astagneau E. The vaginal microbiota and its association with human papillomavirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018; 25:35-47. [PMID: 29729331 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The vaginal microbiota may modulate susceptibility to human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium infections. Persistent infection with a carcinogenic HPV is a prerequisite for cervical cancer, and C. trachomatis, N. gonorrheae and M. genitalium genital infections are all associated with pelvic inflammatory disease and subsequent infertility issues. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association between these infections and the vaginal microbiota. DATA SOURCES The search was conducted on Medline and the Web of Science for articles published between 2000 and 2016. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Inclusion criteria included a measure of association for vaginal microbiota and one of the considered STIs, female population, cohort, cross-sectional and interventional designs, and the use of PCR methods for pathogen detection. METHODS The vaginal microbiota was dichotomized into high-Lactobacillus vaginal microbiota (HL-VMB) and low-Lactobacillus vaginal microbiota (LL-VMB), using either Nugent score, Amsel's criteria, presence of clue cells or gene sequencing. A random effects model assuming heterogeneity among the studies was used for each STI considered. RESULTS The search yielded 1054 articles, of which 39 met the inclusion criteria. Measures of association with LL-VMB ranged from 0.6 (95% CI 0.3-1.2) to 2.8 (95% CI 0.3-28.0), 0.7 (95% CI 0.4-1.2) to 5.2 (95% CI 1.9-14.8), 0.8 (95% CI 0.5-1.4) to 3.8 (95% CI 0.4-36.2) and 0.4 (95% CI 0.1-1.5) to 6.1 (95% CI 2.0-18.5) for HPV, C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae and M. genitalium infections, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Although no clear trend for N. gonorrhoeae and M. genitalium infections could be detected, our results support a protective role of HL-VMB for HPV and C. trachomatis. Overall, these findings advocate for the use of high-resolution characterization methods for the vaginal microbiota and the need for longitudinal studies to lay the foundation for its integration in prevention and treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Tamarelle
- Biostatistics, Biomathematics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Infectious Diseases (B2PHI), UVSQ, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France.
| | - A C M Thiébaut
- Biostatistics, Biomathematics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Infectious Diseases (B2PHI), UVSQ, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | - B de Barbeyrac
- USC EA 3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; French National Reference Centre for Bacterial STIs, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Bébéar
- USC EA 3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; French National Reference Centre for Bacterial STIs, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - J Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - E Delarocque-Astagneau
- Biostatistics, Biomathematics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Infectious Diseases (B2PHI), UVSQ, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France; AP-HP, Raymond-Poincaré Hospital, Garches, France
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
The impact of storage buffer, DNA extraction method, and polymerase on microbial analysis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6292. [PMID: 29674641 PMCID: PMC5908915 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24573-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing approaches used to characterize microbial communities are subject to technical caveats that can lead to major distortion of acquired data. Determining the optimal sample handling protocol is essential to minimize the bias for different sample types. Using a mock community composed of 22 bacterial strains of even concentration, we studied a combination of handling conditions to determine the optimal conditions for swab material. Examining a combination of effects simulates the reality of handling environmental samples and may thus provide a better foundation for the standardization of protocols. We found that the choice of storage buffer and extraction kit affects the detected bacterial composition, while different 16S rRNA amplification methods only had a minor effect. All bacterial genera present in the mock community were identified with minimal levels of contamination independent of the choice of sample processing. Despite this, the observed bacterial profile for all tested conditions were significantly different from the expected abundance. This highlights the need for proper validation and standardization for each sample type using a mock community and blank control samples, to assess the bias in the protocol and reduce variation across the datasets.
Collapse
|
35
|
Tamarelle J, de Barbeyrac B, Le Hen I, Thiébaut A, Bébéar C, Ravel J, Delarocque-Astagneau E. Vaginal microbiota composition and association with prevalent Chlamydia trachomatis infection: a cross-sectional study of young women attending a STI clinic in France. Sex Transm Infect 2018; 94:616-618. [DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2017-053346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectivesNew molecular techniques have allowed describing groups of bacterial communities in the vagina (community state types (CST)) that could play an important role in Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection. Our aim was to describe the distribution of CST in a population of young women in France.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2015 among anonymous young women attending a STI clinic in Bordeaux, France. Participants provided a vaginal sample for CT screening and sociodemographic data. CT was diagnosed using the Aptima-combo 2 transcription-mediated-amplification assay. Vaginal microbiota composition was characterised using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.ResultsMicrobiota composition and CT status were available for 132 women. CST dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus (CST-I), L. iners (CST-III) and a diversity of anaerobes (CST-IV) represented 37.1%, 38.6% and 22.0% of the sample, respectively. Twenty-one out of 132 women were CT positive. Proportions of CT-positive women were higher for samples belonging to CST-III (21.6%) and CST-IV (17.2%) than to CST-I (8.2%).ConclusionsFive CST were found in 132 young women from a STI clinic in France. These CSTs were not significantly associated with CT but higher proportions of CT-positive women were found in CST-III and CST-IV, consistent with a previous study in the Netherlands. Though our study lacked statistical power and was cross-sectional, it is a necessary first step to understand the structure of the vaginal microbiota in French women with or without infection before performing in-depth longitudinal studies.
Collapse
|
36
|
Wood J, Crann S, Cunningham S, Money D, O'Doherty K. A cross-sectional survey of sex toy use, characteristics of sex toy use hygiene behaviours, and vulvovaginal health outcomes in Canada. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN SEXUALITY 2017. [DOI: 10.3138/cjhs.2017-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Researchers' interest in the use of sex toys has increased in the past 10 years as products become more accepted in mainstream media, and incorporated into individuals' sexual scripts. Though researchers and health educators have emphasized the importance of sex toy use hygiene behaviours, few studies have addressed the extent to which individuals are sharing, cleaning and covering their sex toys. The current research examined 1) the prevalence, frequency, predictors, and types of sex toys use/used, 2) the prevalence/frequency of sex toy use hygiene behaviours (e.g., cleaning, sharing, covering) and 3) whether sex toy use hygiene behaviours were related to vulvovaginal health outcomes among a sample of Canadian participants. As part of a larger survey examining genital health and hygiene practices, 1435 participants across Canada completed an anonymous online survey. Prevalence of sex toy use was 52.3%. Sex toys users were more likely to report a bisexual, lesbian, queer or questioning identity and were more likely to report engaging in additional partnered sexual activities such as oral and anal sex. Participants used a wide variety of sex toys including vibrators, butt plugs, BDSM toys, and household items. Most participants indicated that they cleaned their sex toys regularly using soap and water and 21.7% reported sharing their sex toy(s) with a partner. Sex toy use is common among Canadian women and individuals report using a variety of sexual enhancement products. Implications for educators and medical practitioners working with sexually active clients are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
| | - Sara Crann
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
| | | | - Deborah Money
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Roesch LFW, Silveira RC, Corso AL, Dobbler PT, Mai V, Rojas BS, Laureano ÁM, Procianoy RS. Diversity and composition of vaginal microbiota of pregnant women at risk for transmitting Group B Streptococcus treated with intrapartum penicillin. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169916. [PMID: 28178310 PMCID: PMC5298327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Administering intravenous antibiotics during labor to women at risk for transmitting Group B Streptococcus (GBS) can prevent infections in newborns. However, the impact of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis on mothers’ microbial community composition is largely unknown. We compared vaginal microbial composition in pregnant women experiencing preterm birth at ≤ 32 weeks gestation that received intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis with that in controls. Methods Microbiota in vaginal swabs collected shortly before delivery from GBS positive women that received penicillin intravenously during labor or after premature rupture of membranes was compared to controls. Microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing using the PGM Ion Torrent to determine the effects of penicillin use during hospitalization and GBS status on its composition. Results Penicillin administration was associated with an altered vaginal microbial community composition characterized by increased microbial diversity. Lactobacillus sp. contributed only 13.1% of the total community in the women that received penicillin compared to 88.1% in the controls. Streptococcus sp. were present in higher abundance in GBS positive woman compared to controls, with 60% of the total vaginal microbiota in severe cases identified as Streptococcus sp. Conclusions Vaginal communities of healthy pregnant women were dominated by Lactobacillus sp. and contained low diversity, while Group B Streptococcus positive women receiving intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis had a modified vaginal microbiota composition with low abundance of Lactobacillus but higher microbial diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Fernando Wurdig Roesch
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas em Biotecnologia – CIP-Biotec, Campus São Gabriel, Universidade Federal do Pampa, São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Rita C. Silveira
- Unidade de Neonatologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Andréa L. Corso
- Unidade de Neonatologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Priscila Thiago Dobbler
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas em Biotecnologia – CIP-Biotec, Campus São Gabriel, Universidade Federal do Pampa, São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Volker Mai
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Bruna S. Rojas
- Unidade de Neonatologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Álvaro M. Laureano
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas em Biotecnologia – CIP-Biotec, Campus São Gabriel, Universidade Federal do Pampa, São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
| | - Renato S. Procianoy
- Unidade de Neonatologia do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Athanasiou S, Pitsouni E, Antonopoulou S, Zacharakis D, Salvatore S, Falagas ME, Grigoriadis T. The effect of microablative fractional CO2 laser on vaginal flora of postmenopausal women. Climacteric 2016; 19:512-8. [PMID: 27558459 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2016.1212006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of microablative fractional CO2 laser (MFCO2-Laser) therapy on the vaginal microenvironment of postmenopausal women. METHODS Three laser therapies at monthly intervals were applied in postmenopausal women with moderate to severe symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, pH of vaginal fluid >4.5 and superficial epithelial cells on vaginal smear <5%. Vaginal fluid pH values, fresh wet mount microscopy, Gram stain and aerobic and anaerobic cultures were evaluated at baseline and 1 month after each subsequent therapy. Nugent score and Hay-Ison criteria were used to evaluate vaginal flora. RESULTS Fifty-three women (mean age 57.2 ± 5.4 years) participated and completed this study. MFCO2-Laser therapy increased Lactobacillus (p < 0.001) and normal flora (p < 0.001) after the completion of the therapeutic protocol, which decreased vaginal pH from a mean of 5.5 ± 0.8 (initial value) to 4.7 ± 0.5 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of Lactobacillus changed from 30% initially to 79% after the last treatment. Clinical signs and symptoms of bacterial vaginosis, aerobic vaginitis or candidiasis did not appear in any participant. CONCLUSION MFCO2-Laser therapy is a promising treatment for improving the vaginal health of postmenopausal women by helping repopulate the vagina with normally existing Lactobacillus species and reconstituting the normal flora to premenopausal status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Athanasiou
- a Urogynecology Unit, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , "Alexandra" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - E Pitsouni
- a Urogynecology Unit, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , "Alexandra" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece ;,b Alpha Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS) , Athens , Greece
| | - S Antonopoulou
- c Microbiology Department , "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital , Athens , Greece
| | - D Zacharakis
- a Urogynecology Unit, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , "Alexandra" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - S Salvatore
- d Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit , Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital , Milan , Italy Urogynecology Unit
| | - M E Falagas
- b Alpha Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS) , Athens , Greece ;,e Department of Medicine-Infectious Diseases , IASO General Hospital , Athens , Greece ;,f Department of Medicine , Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA
| | - T Grigoriadis
- a Urogynecology Unit, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , "Alexandra" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Effects of low dose estrogen therapy on the vaginal microbiomes of women with atrophic vaginitis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24380. [PMID: 27103314 PMCID: PMC4840317 DOI: 10.1038/srep24380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrophic vaginitis (AV) is common in postmenopausal women, but its causes are not well understood. The symptoms, which include vaginal itching, burning, dryness, irritation, and dyspareunia, can usually be alleviated by low doses of estrogen given orally or locally. Regrettably, the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in women with AV have not been fully characterized and little is known as to how these communities change over time in response to hormonal therapy. In the present intervention study we determined the response of vaginal bacterial communities in postmenopausal women with AV to low-dose estrogen therapy. The changes in community composition in response to hormonal therapy were rapid and typified by significant increases in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. that were mirrored by a decreased relative abundance of Gardnerella. These changes were paralleled by a significant four-fold increase in serum estradiol levels and decreased vaginal pH, as well as nearly a two-fold increase in the Vaginal Maturation Index (VMI). The results suggest that after menopause a vaginal microbiota dominated by species of Lactobacillus may have a beneficial role in the maintenance of health and these findings that could lead to new strategies to protect postmenopausal women from AV.
Collapse
|
40
|
Subramaniam A, Kumar R, Cliver SP, Zhi D, Szychowski JM, Abramovici A, Biggio JR, Lefkowitz EJ, Morrow C, Edwards RK. Vaginal Microbiota in Pregnancy: Evaluation Based on Vaginal Flora, Birth Outcome, and Race. Am J Perinatol 2016; 33:401-8. [PMID: 26479170 PMCID: PMC5166555 DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate vaginal microbiota differences by bacterial vaginosis (BV), birth timing, and race, and to estimate parameters to power future vaginal microbiome studies. METHODS Previously, vaginal swabs were collected at 21 to 25 weeks (stored at -80°C), and vaginal smears evaluated for BV (Nugent criteria). In a blinded fashion, 40 samples were selected, creating 8 equal-sized groups stratified by race (black/white), BV (present/absent), and birth timing (preterm/term). Samples were thawed, DNA extracted, and prepared. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers targeting the 16S rDNA V4 region was used to prepare an amplicon library. PCR products were sequenced and analyzed using quantitative insight into microbial ecology; taxonomy was assigned using ribosomal database program classifier (threshold 0.8) against the modified Greengenes database. RESULTS After quality control, 97,720 sequences (mean) per sample, single-end 250 base-reads, were analyzed. BV samples had greater microbiota diversity (p < 0.05)-with BVAB1, Prevotella, and unclassified genus, Bifidobacteriaceae family (all p < 0.001) more abundant; there was minimal content of Gardnerella or Mobiluncus. Microbiota did not differ by race or birth timing, but there was an association between certain microbial clusters and preterm birth (p = 0.07). To evaluate this difference, 159 patients per group are needed. CONCLUSIONS There are differences in the vaginal microbiota between patients with and without BV. Larger studies should assess the relationship between microbiota composition and preterm birth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akila Subramaniam
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Women's Reproductive Health, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ranjit Kumar
- Biomedical Informatics, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Suzanne P. Cliver
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Women's Reproductive Health, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Degui Zhi
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Jeff M. Szychowski
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Women's Reproductive Health, Birmingham, Alabama,Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Adi Abramovici
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Women's Reproductive Health, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Joseph R. Biggio
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Women's Reproductive Health, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Elliot J. Lefkowitz
- Biomedical Informatics, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Birmingham, Alabama,Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Casey Morrow
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Rodney K. Edwards
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Women's Reproductive Health, Birmingham, Alabama
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Breshears LM, Edwards VL, Ravel J, Peterson ML. Lactobacillus crispatus inhibits growth of Gardnerella vaginalis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae on a porcine vaginal mucosa model. BMC Microbiol 2015; 15:276. [PMID: 26652855 PMCID: PMC4675025 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-015-0608-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The vaginal microbiota can impact the susceptibility of women to bacterial vaginosis (BV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). BV is characterized by depletion of Lactobacillus spp., an overgrowth of anaerobes (often dominated by Gardnerella vaginalis) and a pH > 4.5. BV is associated with an increased risk of acquiring STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. While these associations have been identified, the molecular mechanism(s) driving the risk of infections are unknown. An ex vivo porcine vaginal mucosal model (PVM) was developed to explore the mechanistic role of Lactobacillus spp. in affecting colonization by G. vaginalis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Results The data presented here demonstrate that all organisms tested can colonize and grow on PVM to clinically relevant densities. Additionally, G. vaginalis and N. gonorrhoeae form biofilms on PVM. It was observed that lactic acid, acetic acid, and hydrochloric acid inhibit the growth of G. vaginalis on PVM in a pH-dependent manner. N. gonorrhoeae grows best in the presence of lactic acid at pH 5.5, but did not grow well at this pH in the presence of acetic acid. Finally, a clinical Lactobacillus crispatus isolate (24-9-7) produces lactic acid and inhibits growth of both G. vaginalis and N. gonorrhoeae on PVM. Conclusions These data reveal differences in the effects of pH, various acids and L. crispatus on the growth of G. vaginalis and N. gonorrhoeae on a live vaginal mucosal surface. The PVM is a useful model for studying the interactions of commensal vaginal microbes with pathogens and the mechanisms of biofilm formation on the vaginal mucosa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Breshears
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, 4-442 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Vonetta L Edwards
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Bio Park II, 6th Floor, 801 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Bio Park II, 6th Floor, 801 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| | - Marnie L Peterson
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, 4-442 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
A Study of the Vaginal Microbiome in Healthy Canadian Women Utilizing cpn60-Based Molecular Profiling Reveals Distinct Gardnerella Subgroup Community State Types. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135620. [PMID: 26266808 PMCID: PMC4534464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The vaginal microbiota is important in women’s reproductive and overall health. However, the relationships between the structure, function and dynamics of this complex microbial community and health outcomes remain elusive. The objective of this study was to determine the phylogenetic range and abundance of prokaryotes in the vaginal microbiota of healthy, non-pregnant, ethnically diverse, reproductive-aged Canadian women. Socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical data were collected and vaginal swabs were analyzed from 310 women. Detailed profiles of their vaginal microbiomes were generated by pyrosequencing of the chaperonin-60 universal target. Six community state types (CST) were delineated by hierarchical clustering, including three Lactobacillus-dominated CST (L. crispatus, L. iners, L. jensenii), two Gardnerella-dominated (subgroups A and C) and an “intermediate” CST which included a small number of women with microbiomes dominated by seven other species or with no dominant species but minority populations of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Peptoniphilus, E. coli and various Proteobacteria in co-dominant communities. The striking correspondence between Nugent score and deep sequencing CST continues to reinforce the basic premise provided by the simpler Gram stain method, while additional analyses reveal detailed cpn60-based phylogeny and estimated abundance in microbial communities from vaginal samples. Ethnicity was the only demographic or clinical characteristic predicting CST, with differences in Asian and White women (p = 0.05). In conclusion, this study confirms previous work describing four cpn60-based subgroups of Gardnerella, revealing previously undescribed CST. The data describe the range of bacterial communities seen in Canadian women presenting with no specific vaginal health concerns, and provides an important baseline for future investigations of clinically important cohorts.
Collapse
|
43
|
Mendes-Soares H, Krishnan V, Settles ML, Ravel J, Brown CJ, Forney LJ. Fine-scale analysis of 16S rRNA sequences reveals a high level of taxonomic diversity among vaginal Atopobium spp. Pathog Dis 2015; 73:ftv020. [PMID: 25778779 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftv020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although vaginal microbial communities of some healthy women have high proportions of Atopobium vaginae, the genus Atopobium is more commonly associated with bacterial vaginosis, a syndrome associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Genetic differences within Atopobium species may explain why single species can be associated with both health and disease. We used 16S rRNA gene sequences from previously published studies to explore the taxonomic diversity of the genus Atopobium in vaginal microbial communities of healthy women. Although A. vaginae was the species most commonly found, we also observed three other Atopobium species in the vaginal microbiota, one of which, A. parvulum, was not previously known to reside in the human vagina. Furthermore, we found several potential novel species of the genus Atopobium and multiple phylogenetic clades of A. vaginae. The diversity of Atopobium found in our study, which focused only on samples from healthy women, is greater than previously recognized, suggesting that analysis of samples from women with BV would yield even more diversity. Classification of microbes only to the genus level may thus obfuscate differences that might be important to better understand health or disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Mendes-Soares
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow ID 83844, USA
| | - Vandhana Krishnan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow ID 83844, USA
| | - Matthew L Settles
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow ID 83844, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201, USA
| | - Celeste J Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow ID 83844, USA
| | - Larry J Forney
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow ID 83844, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Kovachev SM. Obstetric and gynecological diseases and complications resulting from vaginal dysbacteriosis. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2014; 68:173-184. [PMID: 24711012 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0414-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Accurate knowledge of the composition and ecology of vaginal microbial environment of a healthy woman is necessary for the understanding of normal flora and how to reduce the risk for diseases. Vagina and its microflora form a balanced ecosystem in which dominated bacteria are vaginal lactobacilli. There are dynamic changes in this ecosystem having structure and composition depending on many factors. The term dysbacteriosis defines any movement outside the normal range for the given biotope of obligate and/or facultative microflora. Such a change in the quantity and quality of the respective microbial balance is fraught with danger and requires correction and recovery. The purpose of this overview is to examine obstetric and gynecological diseases that can cause vaginal impaired microbial balance. Vaginal dysbacteriosis is a cause, predecessor, and often also consequence of vaginal infections. In essence, any vaginal infection can be seen as dysbacteriosis, developed to the most severe extent. Here, there is a dominant microorganism other than lactic acid bacteria in the vagina (clinically manifested or not, respectively), depletion of defense mechanisms of the vagina associated with the shift of lactobacilli from their dominant role in the vaginal balance, decrease in their number and species diversity, and a resulting change in the healthy status of the vagina. Vaginal dysbacteriosis can be found in pathogenetic mechanism, whereby many obstetric and gynecological diseases develop. Most of these diseases lead directly to increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, so it is important to understand the reasons for them and the arrangements for their prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Miladinov Kovachev
- Department of Gynecology, Military Medical Academy, "P.U.Todorov" bul. bl. No. 5, entr. B, fl. No. 25, 1404, Sofia, Bulgaria,
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Romero R, Hassan SS, Gajer P, Tarca AL, Fadrosh DW, Nikita L, Galuppi M, Lamont RF, Chaemsaithong P, Miranda J, Chaiworapongsa T, Ravel J. The composition and stability of the vaginal microbiota of normal pregnant women is different from that of non-pregnant women. MICROBIOME 2014; 2:4. [PMID: 24484853 PMCID: PMC3916806 DOI: 10.1186/2049-2618-2-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 468] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study was undertaken to characterize the vaginal microbiota throughout normal human pregnancy using sequence-based techniques. We compared the vaginal microbial composition of non-pregnant patients with a group of pregnant women who delivered at term. RESULTS A retrospective case-control longitudinal study was designed and included non-pregnant women (n = 32) and pregnant women who delivered at term (38 to 42 weeks) without complications (n = 22). Serial samples of vaginal fluid were collected from both non-pregnant and pregnant patients. A 16S rRNA gene sequence-based survey was conducted using pyrosequencing to characterize the structure and stability of the vaginal microbiota. Linear mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations were used to identify the phylotypes whose relative abundance was different between the two study groups. The vaginal microbiota of normal pregnant women was different from that of non-pregnant women (higher abundance of Lactobacillus vaginalis, L. crispatus, L. gasseri and L. jensenii and lower abundance of 22 other phylotypes in pregnant women). Bacterial community state type (CST) IV-B or CST IV-A characterized by high relative abundance of species of genus Atopobium as well as the presence of Prevotella, Sneathia, Gardnerella, Ruminococcaceae, Parvimonas, Mobiluncus and other taxa previously shown to be associated with bacterial vaginosis were less frequent in normal pregnancy. The stability of the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women was higher than that of non-pregnant women; however, during normal pregnancy, bacterial communities shift almost exclusively from one CST dominated by Lactobacillus spp. to another CST dominated by Lactobacillus spp. CONCLUSION We report the first longitudinal study of the vaginal microbiota in normal pregnancy. Differences in the composition and stability of the microbial community between pregnant and non-pregnant women were observed. Lactobacillus spp. were the predominant members of the microbial community in normal pregnancy. These results can serve as the basis to study the relationship between the vaginal microbiome and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Pawel Gajer
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Douglas W Fadrosh
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lorraine Nikita
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Marisa Galuppi
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ronald F Lamont
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Division of Surgery, University College, Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research Campus, London, UK
| | - Piya Chaemsaithong
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jezid Miranda
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD and, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Stumpf RM, Wilson BA, Rivera A, Yildirim S, Yeoman CJ, Polk JD, White BA, Leigh SR. The primate vaginal microbiome: comparative context and implications for human health and disease. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 152 Suppl 57:119-34. [PMID: 24166771 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The primate body hosts trillions of microbes. Interactions between primate hosts and these microbes profoundly affect primate physiology, reproduction, health, survival, and ultimately, evolution. It is increasingly clear that primate health cannot be understood fully without knowledge of host-microbial interactions. Our goals here are to review what is known about microbiomes of the female reproductive tract and to explore several factors that influence variation within individuals, as well as within and between primate species. Much of our knowledge of microbial variation derives from studies of humans, and from microbes located in nonreproductive regions (e.g., the gut). We review work suggesting that the vaginal microbiota affects female health, fecundity, and pregnancy outcomes, demonstrating the selective potential for these agents. We explore the factors that correlate with microbial variation within species. Initial colonization by microbes depends on the manner of birth; most microbial variation is structured by estrogen levels that change with age (i.e., at puberty and menopause) and through the menstrual cycle. Microbial communities vary by location within the vagina and can depend on the sampling methods used (e.g., swab, lavage, or pap smear). Interindividual differences also exist, and while this variation is not completely understood, evidence points more to differences in estrogen levels, rather than differences in external physical environment. When comparing across species, reproductive-age humans show distinct microbial communities, generally dominated by Lactobacillus, unlike other primates. We develop evolutionary hypotheses to explain the marked differences in microbial communities. While much remains to be done to test these hypotheses, we argue that the ample variation in primate mating and reproductive behavior offers excellent opportunities to evaluate host-microbe coevolution and adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Stumpf
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
The human microbiota is a complex assemblage of the microbes inhabiting many sites in the human body. Recent advances in technology have enabled deep sequencing and analysis of the members and structures of these communities. Two sites, the vagina and gastrointestinal tract, are highlighted to exemplify how technological advances have enhanced our knowledge of the host-microbiota system. These examples represent low- and high-complexity communities, respectively. In each example, certain community structures are identified that can be extrapolated to larger collections representing multiple individuals and potential disease or health states. One common feature is the unexpected diversity of the microbiota at any of these locations, which poses a challenge for relating the microbiota to health and disease. However, we anticipate microbiota compositional measurements could become standard clinical practice in the future and may become diagnostic for certain diseases or increased susceptibility to certain disorders. The microbiota of a number of disease states are currently being examined to identify potential correlations. In line with these predictions, it is possible that existing conditions may be resolved by altering the microbiota in a positive way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emiley A Eloe-Fadrosh
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bradford LL, Ravel J, Bruno V. Understanding Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Through a Community Genomics Approach. CURRENT FUNGAL INFECTION REPORTS 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s12281-013-0135-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
49
|
Wang Y, Ametaj BN, Ambrose DJ, Gänzle MG. Characterisation of the bacterial microbiota of the vagina of dairy cows and isolation of pediocin-producing Pediococcus acidilactici. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:19. [PMID: 23356904 PMCID: PMC3564792 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uterine infections in dairy cows lower profitability of dairy operations. Infections of the reproductive tract are related to the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria during the first three weeks after parturition. However, alterations in the vaginal microbiota composition in the first weeks after parturition remain poorly documented. RESULTS In this study, bacteria isolated from the vagina of healthy pregnant, and infected postpartum cows were characterised by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and partial 16S ribosomal RNA (rDNA) gene sequencing. Populations of bacilli and lactic acid bacteria of the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus were present in both healthy and infected cows. Infected cows had a significant increase in the vaginal enteric bacteria population which consisted mainly of Escherichia coli. Three E. coli isolates harboured the gene coding for Shiga-like-toxin (SLT) I or II. Several isolates of the Pediococcus acidilactici were found to produce the bacteriocin pediocin AcH/PA-1. Quantitative PCR analyses of vaginal mucus samples collected from ten metritic cows before and after parturition confirmed the presence of the Lactobacillus group (Lactobacillus spp., Pediococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp., and Weissella spp.); Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, and bacilli. The presence of the pediocin AcH/PA-1 structural gene and SLT genes were also confirmed with qPCR. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, particularly E. coli, after parturition likely contributes to the development of metritis. Our microbiota analysis extends the information related to the composition of commensal bacteria in the bovine female reproductive tract and may facilitate the development of novel intervention strategies for prevention of uterine infections in dairy cows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Wang
- Department of Agricultural, University of Alberta, Food and Nutritional Science, 4-10 Ag/For Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, Canada
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Gajer P, Brotman RM, Bai G, Sakamoto J, Schütte UME, Zhong X, Koenig SSK, Fu L, Ma ZS, Zhou X, Abdo Z, Forney LJ, Ravel J. Temporal dynamics of the human vaginal microbiota. Sci Transl Med 2012; 4:132ra52. [PMID: 22553250 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 951] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the factors that impinge on the stability of bacterial communities in the vagina may help in predicting the risk of diseases that affect women's health. Here, we describe the temporal dynamics of the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in 32 reproductive-age women over a 16-week period. The analysis revealed the dynamics of five major classes of bacterial communities and showed that some communities change markedly over short time periods, whereas others are relatively stable. Modeling community stability using new quantitative measures indicates that deviation from stability correlates with time in the menstrual cycle, bacterial community composition, and sexual activity. The women studied are healthy; thus, it appears that neither variation in community composition per se nor higher levels of observed diversity (co-dominance) are necessarily indicative of dysbiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Gajer
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|