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Garcia EM, Klimowicz AK, Edupuganti L, Topf MA, Bhide SR, Slusser DJ, Leib SM, Coddington CL, Matveyev A, Buck GA, Jefferson KK, Pepperell CS, Dillard JP. Phase variable colony variants are conserved across Gardnerella spp. and exhibit different virulence-associated phenotypes. mSphere 2024; 9:e0045024. [PMID: 38926904 PMCID: PMC11287997 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00450-24] [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: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Gardnerella genus, comprising at least 13 species, is associated with the polymicrobial disorder bacterial vaginosis (BV). However, the details of BV pathogenesis are poorly defined, and the contributions made by individual species, including Gardnerella spp., are largely unknown. We report here that colony phenotypes characterized by size (large and small) and opacity (opaque and translucent) are phase variable and are conserved among all tested Gardnerella strains, representing at least 10 different species. With the hypothesis that these different variants could be an important missing piece to the enigma of how BV develops in vivo, we characterized their phenotypic, proteomic, and genomic differences. Beyond increased colony size, large colony variants showed reduced vaginolysin secretion and faster growth rate relative to small colony variants. The ability to inhibit the growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and commensal Lactobacillus species varied by strain and, in some instances, differed between variants. Proteomics analyses indicated that 127-173 proteins were differentially expressed between variants. Proteins with increased expression in large variants of both strains were associated with amino acid and protein synthesis and protein folding, whereas those increased in small variants were related to nucleotide synthesis, phosphate transport, ABC transport, and glycogen breakdown. Furthermore, whole genome sequencing analyses revealed an abundance of genes associated with variable homopolymer tracts, implicating slipped strand mispairing in Gardnerella phase variation and illuminating the potential for previously unrecognized heterogeneity within clonal populations. Collectively, these results suggest that phase variants may be primed to serve different roles in BV pathogenesis.IMPORTANCEBacterial vaginosis is the most common gynecological disorder in women of childbearing age. Gardnerella species are crucial to the development of this dysbiosis, but the mechanisms involved in the infection are not understood. We discovered that Gardnerella species vary between two different forms, reflected in bacterial colony size. A slow-growing form makes large amounts of the toxin vaginolysin and is better able to survive in human cervix tissue. A fast-growing form is likely the one that proliferates to high numbers just prior to symptom onset and forms the biofilm that serves as a scaffold for multiple BV-associated anaerobic bacteria. Identification of the proteins that vary between different forms of the bacteria as well as those that vary randomly provides insight into the factors important for Gardnerella infection and immune avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M. Garcia
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Amy K. Klimowicz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Laahirie Edupuganti
- Center for Microbiome Engineering and Data Analysis, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Madeline A. Topf
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Shraddha R. Bhide
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Dawson J. Slusser
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Samantha M. Leib
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Cayden L. Coddington
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Andrey Matveyev
- Center for Microbiome Engineering and Data Analysis, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Gregory A. Buck
- Center for Microbiome Engineering and Data Analysis, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Kimberly K. Jefferson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Caitlin S. Pepperell
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Joseph P. Dillard
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Munch MM, Strenk SM, Srinivasan S, Fiedler TL, Proll S, Fredricks DN. Gardnerella Species and Their Association With Bacterial Vaginosis. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:e171-e181. [PMID: 39052736 PMCID: PMC11272073 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae026] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition marked by high vaginal bacterial diversity. Gardnerella vaginalis has been implicated in BV but is also detected in healthy women. The Gardnerella genus has been expanded to encompass 6 validly named species and several genomospecies. We hypothesized that particular Gardnerella species may be more associated with BV. METHODS Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were developed targeting the cpn60 gene of species groups including G. vaginalis, G. piotii/pickettii, G. swidsinskii/greenwoodii, and G. leopoldii. These assays were applied to vaginal swabs from individuals with (n = 101) and without BV (n = 150) attending a sexual health clinic in Seattle, Washington. Weekly swabs were collected from 42 participants for up to 12 weeks. RESULTS Concentrations and prevalence of each Gardnerella species group were significantly higher in participants with BV; 91.1% of BV-positive participants had 3 or more Gardnerella species groups detected compared to 32.0% of BV-negative participants (P < .0001). BV-negative participants with 3 or more species groups detected were more likely to develop BV within 100 days versus those with fewer (60.5% vs 3.7%, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that BV reflects a state of high Gardnerella species diversity. No Gardnerella species group was a specific marker for BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Munch
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Susan M Strenk
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sujatha Srinivasan
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tina L Fiedler
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sean Proll
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - David N Fredricks
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Hasan Z, Netherland M, Hasan NA, Begum N, Yasmin M, Ahmed S. An insight into the vaginal microbiome of infertile women in Bangladesh using metagenomic approach. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1390088. [PMID: 39040604 PMCID: PMC11261484 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1390088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The dysbiosis of vaginal microbiota is recognized as a potential underlying factor contributing to infertility in women. This study aimed to compare the vaginal microbiomes of infertile and fertile women to investigate their relationship with infertility. Methods Metagenomic analysis was conducted on samples from 5 infertile and 5 fertile individuals using both amplicon 16S and metagenomics shotgun sequencing methods. Results and discussion In the infertile group, the bacterial community was primarily represented by three major bacterial genera: Lactobacillus (79.42%), Gardnerella (12.56%) and Prevotella (3.33%), whereas, the fertile group exhibited a more diverse composition with over 8 major bacterial genera, accompanied by significantly reduced abundance of Lactobacillus (48.79%) and Gardnerella (6.98%). At the species level, higher abundances of L. iners, L. gasseri and G. vaginalis were observed in the infertile group. Regarding the microbiome composition, only one fertile and two infertile subjects exhibited the healthiest Community State Types, CST-1, while CST-3 was observed among two infertile and one fertile subject, and CST-4 in three other fertile and one infertile subject. Overall, alpha diversity metrics indicated greater diversity and lower species richness in the control (fertile) group, while the infertile group displayed the opposite trend. However, beta-diversity analysis did not show distinct clustering of samples associated with any specific group; instead, it demonstrated CST-type specific clustering. Shotgun metagenomics further confirmed the dominance of Firmicutes, with a greater abundance of Lactobacillus species in the infertile group. Specifically, L. iners and G. vaginalis were identified as the most dominant and highly abundant in the infertile group. Fungi were only identified in the control group, dominated by Penicillium citrinum (62.5%). Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) corroborated read-based taxonomic profiling, with the taxon L. johnsonii identified exclusively in disease samples. MAG identities shared by both groups include Shamonda orthobunyavirus, L. crispatus, Human endogenous retrovirus K113, L. iners, and G. vaginalis. Interestingly, the healthy microbiomes sequenced in this study contained two clusters, Penicillium and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, not found in the public dataset. In conclusion, this study suggests that lower species diversity with a higher abundance of L. iners, L. gasseri and G. vaginalis, may contribute to female infertility in our study datasets. However, larger sample sizes are necessary to further evaluate such association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahid Hasan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Nurjahan Begum
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahmuda Yasmin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sangita Ahmed
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Wang T, Li P, Bai X, Tian S, Yang M, Leng D, Kui H, Zhang S, Yan X, Zheng Q, Luo P, He C, Jia Y, Wu Z, Qiu H, Li J, Wan F, Ali MA, Mao R, Liu Y, Li D. Vaginal microbiota are associated with in vitro fertilization during female infertility. IMETA 2024; 3:e185. [PMID: 38898981 PMCID: PMC11183179 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The vaginal microbiome plays an essential role in the reproductive health of human females. As infertility increases worldwide, understanding the roles that the vaginal microbiome may have in infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment outcomes is critical. To determine the vaginal microbiome composition of 1411 individuals (1255 undergoing embryo transplantation) and their associations with reproductive outcomes, clinical and biochemical features are measured, and vaginal samples are 16S rRNA sequenced. Our results suggest that both too high and too low abundance of Lactobacillus is not beneficial for pregnancy; a moderate abundance is more beneficial. A moderate abundance of Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners (~80%) (with a pregnancy rate of I-B: 54.35% and III-B: 57.73%) is found beneficial for pregnancy outcomes compared with a higher abundance (>90%) of Lactobacillus (I-A: 44.81% and III-A: 51.06%, respectively). The community state type (CST) IV-B (contains a high to moderate relative abundance of Gardnerella vaginalis) shows a similar pregnant ratio (48.09%) with I-A and III-A, and the pregnant women in this CST have a higher abundance of Lactobacillus species. Metagenome analysis of 71 samples shows that nonpregnant women are detected with more antibiotic-resistance genes, and Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are the main hosts. The inherent differences within and between women in different infertility groups suggest that vaginal microbes might be used to detect infertility and potentially improve IVF outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Antibiotics Research and Re‐evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of PharmacyChengdu UniversityChengduChina
| | - Penghao Li
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Xue Bai
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
- College of Animal Science and TechnologySichuan Agricultural UniversityChengduChina
| | - Shilin Tian
- College of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Maosen Yang
- Antibiotics Research and Re‐evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of PharmacyChengdu UniversityChengduChina
| | - Dong Leng
- College of Animal Science and TechnologySichuan Agricultural UniversityChengduChina
| | - Hua Kui
- College of Animal Science and TechnologySichuan Agricultural UniversityChengduChina
| | - Sujuan Zhang
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Xiaomiao Yan
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Qu Zheng
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Pulin Luo
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Changming He
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Yan Jia
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Zhoulin Wu
- College of Food and Biological EngineeringChengdu UniversityChengduChina
| | - Huimin Qiu
- College of AgricultureKunming UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Jing Li
- College of AgricultureKunming UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Feng Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine ResourcesChengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChengduChina
| | - Muhammad A. Ali
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of the PunjabLahorePakistan
| | - Rurong Mao
- Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's HospitalChengduChina
| | - Yong‐Xin Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Diyan Li
- Antibiotics Research and Re‐evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of PharmacyChengdu UniversityChengduChina
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Izadifar Z, Cotton J, Chen S, Horvath V, Stejskalova A, Gulati A, LoGrande NT, Budnik B, Shahriar S, Doherty ER, Xie Y, To T, Gilpin SE, Sesay AM, Goyal G, Lebrilla CB, Ingber DE. Mucus production, host-microbiome interactions, hormone sensitivity, and innate immune responses modeled in human cervix chips. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4578. [PMID: 38811586 PMCID: PMC11137093 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48910-0] [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: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Modulation of the cervix by steroid hormones and commensal microbiome play a central role in the health of the female reproductive tract. Here we describe organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) models that recreate the human cervical epithelial-stromal interface with a functional epithelial barrier and production of mucus with biochemical and hormone-responsive properties similar to living cervix. When Cervix Chips are populated with optimal healthy versus dysbiotic microbial communities (dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus and Gardnerella vaginalis, respectively), significant differences in tissue innate immune responses, barrier function, cell viability, proteome, and mucus composition are observed that are similar to those seen in vivo. Thus, human Cervix Organ Chips represent physiologically relevant in vitro models to study cervix physiology and host-microbiome interactions, and hence may be used as a preclinical testbed for development of therapeutic interventions to enhance women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Izadifar
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Urology Department, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Justin Cotton
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Siyu Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Viktor Horvath
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Anna Stejskalova
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Aakanksha Gulati
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nina T LoGrande
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Bogdan Budnik
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sanjid Shahriar
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Erin R Doherty
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yixuan Xie
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tania To
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sarah E Gilpin
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Adama M Sesay
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Girija Goyal
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Carlito B Lebrilla
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Donald E Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02134, USA.
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Luo K, Taryn A, Moon EH, Peters BA, Solomon SD, Daviglus ML, Kansal MM, Thyagarajan B, Gellman MD, Cai J, Burk RD, Knight R, Kaplan RC, Cheng S, Rodriguez CJ, Qi Q, Yu B. Gut microbiota, blood metabolites, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in US Hispanics/Latinos. MICROBIOME 2024; 12:85. [PMID: 38725043 PMCID: PMC11084054 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-024-01797-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is an important precursor of heart failure (HF), but little is known about its relationship with gut dysbiosis and microbial-related metabolites. By leveraging the multi-omics data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), a study with population at high burden of LVDD, we aimed to characterize gut microbiota associated with LVDD and identify metabolite signatures of gut dysbiosis and incident LVDD. RESULTS We included up to 1996 Hispanic/Latino adults (mean age: 59.4 years; 67.1% female) with comprehensive echocardiography assessments, gut microbiome, and blood metabolome data. LVDD was defined through a composite criterion involving tissue Doppler assessment and left atrial volume index measurements. Among 1996 participants, 916 (45.9%) had prevalent LVDD, and 212 out of 594 participants without LVDD at baseline developed incident LVDD over a median 4.3 years of follow-up. Using multivariable-adjusted analysis of compositions of microbiomes (ANCOM-II) method, we identified 7 out of 512 dominant gut bacterial species (prevalence > 20%) associated with prevalent LVDD (FDR-q < 0.1), with inverse associations being found for Intestinimonas_massiliensis, Clostridium_phoceensis, and Bacteroide_coprocola and positive associations for Gardnerella_vaginali, Acidaminococcus_fermentans, Pseudomonas_aeruginosa, and Necropsobacter_massiliensis. Using multivariable adjusted linear regression, 220 out of 669 circulating metabolites with detection rate > 75% were associated with the identified LVDD-related bacterial species (FDR-q < 0.1), with the majority being linked to Intestinimonas_massiliensis, Clostridium_phoceensis, and Acidaminococcus_fermentans. Furthermore, 46 of these bacteria-associated metabolites, mostly glycerophospholipids, secondary bile acids, and amino acids, were associated with prevalent LVDD (FDR-q < 0.1), 21 of which were associated with incident LVDD (relative risk ranging from 0.81 [p = 0.001, for guanidinoacetate] to 1.25 [p = 9 × 10-5, for 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-GPE (18:0/20:4)]). The inclusion of these 21 bacterial-related metabolites significantly improved the prediction of incident LVDD compared with a traditional risk factor model (the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.73 vs 0.70, p = 0.001). Metabolite-based proxy association analyses revealed the inverse associations of Intestinimonas_massilliensis and Clostridium_phoceensis and the positive association of Acidaminococcus_fermentans with incident LVDD. CONCLUSION In this study of US Hispanics/Latinos, we identified multiple gut bacteria and related metabolites linked to LVDD, suggesting their potential roles in this preclinical HF entity. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Luo
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Alkis Taryn
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Eun-Hye Moon
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Brandilyn A Peters
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Scott D Solomon
- Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Martha L Daviglus
- Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Mayank M Kansal
- Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Bharat Thyagarajan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Marc D Gellman
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Research Building, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Jianwen Cai
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Robert D Burk
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Robert C Kaplan
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Susan Cheng
- Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Carlos J Rodriguez
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Qibin Qi
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Bing Yu
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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7
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Shang X, Bai H, Fan L, Zhang X, Zhao X, Liu Z. In vitro biofilm formation of Gardnerella vaginalis and Escherichia coli associated with bacterial vaginosis and aerobic vaginitis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1387414. [PMID: 38751998 PMCID: PMC11094315 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1387414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To determine the optimum biofilm formation ratio of Gardnerella vaginalis (G. vaginalis) in a mixed culture with Escherichia coli (E. coli). Methods G. vaginalis ATCC14018, E. coli ATCC25922, as well as five strains of G. vaginalis were selected from the vaginal sources of patients whose biofilm forming capacity was determined by the Crystal Violet method. The biofilm forming capacity of E. coli in anaerobic and non-anaerobic environments were compared using the identical assay. The Crystal Violet method was also used to determine the biofilm forming capacity of a co-culture of G. vaginalis and E. coli in different ratios. After Live/Dead staining, biofilm thickness was measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy, and biofilm morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Results The biofilm forming capacity of E. coli under anaerobic environment was similar to that in a 5% CO2 environment. The biofilm forming capacity of G. vaginalis and E. coli was stronger at 106:105 CFU/mL than at other ratios (P<0.05). Their thicknesses were greater at 106:105 CFU/mL than at the other ratios, with the exception of 106:102 CFU/mL (P<0.05), under laser scanning microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy revealed increased biofilm formation at 106:105 CFU/mL and 106:102 CFU/mL, but no discernible E. coli was observed at 106:102 CFU/mL. Conclusion G. vaginalis and E. coli showed the greatest biofilm forming capacity at a concentration of 106:105 CFU/mL at 48 hours and could be used to simulate a mixed infection of bacterial vaginosis and aerobic vaginitis in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Shang
- Department of Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huihui Bai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Linyuan Fan
- Department of Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaowen Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaohui Liu
- Department of Gynecology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
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8
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Zhang Y, He Z. Inflammatory mediators in bacterial vaginosis: The role of cytokines. APMIS 2024; 132:245-255. [PMID: 38345182 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
BV is a significant concern in women's health with a varying prevalence rate in different cities of China. The condition has been linked to the acquisition of STIs, including HIV and HPV, and can lead to infertility, adverse obstetric outcomes. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed. The search was performed from 01/01/2018 to 01/09/2023. The following search terms were used: bacterial vaginosis and cytokine. We also manually searched the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews to identify additional articles. The presence of Gardnerella spp. can lead to changes in cytokine levels. The immune system of the female reproductive tract consists of various immune cells and molecules that play a vital role in defending against infections. Cytokines, signaling molecules involved in immune cell recruitment and activation, have been identified as potential biomarkers for diagnosing BV and predicting STIs. Current treatments for BV primarily involve antibiotics, but there is a high recurrence rate posttreatment. BV is a complex condition that affects a significant number of women worldwide. The role of cytokines in the onset, progression, and treatment of BV offers promising avenues for future research and potential diagnostic and therapeutic advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexin Zhang
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhi He
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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9
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Prasanchit P, Pongchaikul P, Lertsittichai P, Tantitham C, Manonai J. Vaginal microbiomes of breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors with and without vulvovaginal symptoms. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7417. [PMID: 38548910 PMCID: PMC10978846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is the leading cause of vaginal symptoms in breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors. However, there are currently no effective treatment options available for women with a history of breast cancer. Recent research has established that changes in the vaginal microbiome may be linked to GSM. Most studies have assessed the microbiome without accounting for the estrogen status. It remains unknown whether the vaginal microbiome differ among patients with a low estrogenic state with and without vulvovaginal symptoms. To address such research questions, our study compares the vaginal microbiomes among breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors with and without vulvovaginal symptoms. A total of 50 breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors were recruited, among whom 25 had vulvovaginal symptoms and 25 had no vulvovaginal symptoms. Vaginal swabs were collected. DNA extraction, followed by sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, were performed. Differential abundance analysis was conducted by linear discriminant analysis effect size. Taxonomy assignment, alpha diversity and beta diversity were examined. The relative abundance of genus Sneathia and genus Gardnerella was significantly increased in vulvovaginal symptoms group with no differences in bacterial diversity and richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pimpun Prasanchit
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, 270, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Pisut Pongchaikul
- Ramathibodi Medical School, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, 111, Suwannabhumi Canal Rd., Samut Prakan, 10540, Thailand
- Integrative Computational BioScience Center, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Panuwat Lertsittichai
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, 270, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Chananya Tantitham
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, 270, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Jittima Manonai
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, 270, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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10
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Joseph A, Anton L, Guan Y, Ferguson B, Mirro I, Meng N, France M, Ravel J, Elovitz MA. Extracellular vesicles from vaginal Gardnerella vaginalis and Mobiluncus mulieris contain distinct proteomic cargo and induce inflammatory pathways. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2024; 10:28. [PMID: 38514622 PMCID: PMC10957959 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00502-y] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Colonization of the vaginal space with bacteria such as Gardnerella vaginalis and Mobiluncus mulieris is associated with increased risk for STIs, bacterial vaginosis, and preterm birth, while Lactobacillus crispatus is associated with optimal reproductive health. Although host-microbe interactions are hypothesized to contribute to reproductive health and disease, the bacterial mediators that are critical to this response remain unclear. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) are proposed to participate in host-microbe communication by providing protection of bacterial cargo, delivery to intracellular targets, and ultimately induction of immune responses from the host. We evaluated the proteome of bEVs produced in vitro from G. vaginalis, M. mulieris, and L. crispatus, identifying specific proteins of immunologic interest. We found that bEVs from each bacterial species internalize within cervical and vaginal epithelial cells, and that epithelial and immune cells express a multi-cytokine response when exposed to bEVs from G. vaginalis and M. mulieris but not L. crispatus. Further, we demonstrate that the inflammatory response induced by G. vaginalis and M. mulieris bEVs is TLR2-specific. Our results provide evidence that vaginal bacteria communicate with host cells through secreted bEVs, revealing a mechanism by which bacteria lead to adverse reproductive outcomes associated with inflammation. Elucidating host-microbe interactions in the cervicovaginal space will provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to microbiome-mediated adverse outcomes and may reveal new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Joseph
- Women's Biomedical Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA.
| | - Lauren Anton
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yuxia Guan
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Briana Ferguson
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Isabella Mirro
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nova Meng
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Michael France
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Michal A Elovitz
- Women's Biomedical Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
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11
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Jirillo E, Palmirotta R, Colella M, Santacroce L. A Bird's-Eye View of the Pathophysiologic Role of the Human Urobiota in Health and Disease: Can We Modulate It? PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 2024; 31:52-67. [PMID: 38390942 PMCID: PMC10885084 DOI: 10.3390/pathophysiology31010005] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
For a long time, urine has been considered sterile in physiological conditions, thanks to the particular structure of the urinary tract and the production of uromodulin or Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) by it. More recently, thanks to the development and use of new technologies, i.e., next-generation sequencing and expanded urine culture, the identification of a microbial community in the urine, the so-called urobiota, became possible. Major phyla detected in the urine are represented by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Particularly, the female urobiota is largely represented by Lactobacillus spp., which are very active against urinary pathogenic Escherichia (E.) coli (UPEC) strains via the generation of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Gut dysbiosis accounts for recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), so-called gut-bladder axis syndrome with the formation of intracellular bacterial communities in the course of acute cystitis. However, other chronic urinary tract infections are caused by bacterial strains of intestinal derivation. Monomicrobial and polymicrobial infections account for the outcome of acute and chronic UTIs, even including prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain. E. coli isolates have been shown to be more invasive and resistant to antibiotics. Probiotics, fecal microbial transplantation, phage therapy, antimicrobial peptides, and immune-mediated therapies, even including vaccines for the treatment of UTIs, will be described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Jirillo
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Raffaele Palmirotta
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Marica Colella
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70124 Bari, Italy
- Doctoral School, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
| | - Luigi Santacroce
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70124 Bari, Italy
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12
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Rahman N, Mian MF, Nazli A, Kaushic C. Human vaginal microbiota colonization is regulated by female sex hormones in a mouse model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1307451. [PMID: 38156321 PMCID: PMC10753781 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1307451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Clinically, a Lactobacillus rich vaginal microbiota (VMB) is considered optimal for reproductive outcomes, while a VMB populated by anaerobes is associated with dysbiosis and the clinical condition bacterial vaginosis (BV), which is linked to increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections and adverse reproductive outcomes. Mouse models that mimic eubiotic and dysbiotic VMB are currently lacking but could play a critical role in improving protective interventions. Methods In this study, probiotic, eubiotic, and dysbiotic models were developed in C57BL/6 mice, using probiotic strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14, eubiotic Lactobacillus crispatus, or dysbiotic Gardnerella vaginalis strains. Endogenous sex hormones were manipulated by either ovariectomizing (OVX) mice or administering 17β-estradiol or progesterone pellets in OVX mice. Hormone-altered mice were inoculated with probiotic Lactobacillus species, L. crispatus, or G. vaginalis, and colonization was tracked using quantitative plating assays. Glycogen and MUC-1 levels in hormone-treated mice were determined with ELISA and MUC-1 staining. Results Following a single administration, L. rhamnosus and L. reuteri persisted in the mouse vaginal tract for up to eight days, L. crispatus persisted for up to three days, and G. vaginalis persisted for up to two days, as measured by quantitative plating assays and qPCR. Colonization of G. vaginalis was facilitated by the presence of mucin. The lack of endogenous hormones in OVX mice dramatically decreased VMB bacterial load compared to normal mice. None of the exogenous bacteria including Lactobacilli could colonize OVX mice for more than 24 hours. Treatment with 17β-estradiol but not progesterone restored the endogenous VMB and colonization with Lactobacilli and G. vaginalis. Interestingly, 17β-estradiol treated mice had significantly increased levels of glycogen compared to OVX and progesterone-treated mice. Discussion Based on the results, we have shown that estrogen played a significant role in the ability for human VMB species to colonize in our mouse models, potentially through a glycogen mediated mechanism. These results suggest there is a dynamic interaction between sex hormones and the VMB, which can affect bacterial diversity and the ability for a VMB to colonize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuzhat Rahman
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael G. DeGroote Center for Learning and Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - M. Firoz Mian
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael G. DeGroote Center for Learning and Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Aisha Nazli
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael G. DeGroote Center for Learning and Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Charu Kaushic
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Center, Michael G. DeGroote Center for Learning and Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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13
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Development of 3D-printed vaginal devices containing metronidazole for alternative bacterial vaginosis treatment. Int J Pharm X 2023; 5:100142. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2022.100142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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14
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Morrill SR, Saha S, Varki AP, Lewis WG, Ram S, Lewis AL. Gardnerella Vaginolysin Potentiates Glycan Molecular Mimicry by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:1610-1620. [PMID: 37722688 PMCID: PMC10681867 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad391] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a dysbiotic condition of the vaginal microbiome associated with higher risk of infection by Neisseria gonorrhoeae-the cause of gonorrhea. Here we test if one known facet of BV-the presence of bacterial cytolysins-leads to mobilization of intracellular contents that enhance gonococcal virulence. We cloned and expressed recombinant vaginolysin (VLY), a cytolysin produced by the BV-associated bacterium Gardnerella, verifying that it liberates contents of cervical epithelial (HeLa) cells, while vector control preparations did not. We tested if VLY mediates a well-known gonococcal virulence mechanism-the molecular mimicry of host glycans. To evade host immunity, N. gonorrhoeae caps its lipooligosaccharide (LOS) with α2-3-linked sialic acid. For this, gonococci must scavenge a metabolite made inside host cells. Flow cytometry-based lectin-binding assays showed that gonococci exposed to vaginolysin-liberated contents of HeLa cells displayed greater sialic acid capping of their LOS. This higher level of bacterial sialylation was accompanied by increased binding of the complement regulatory protein factor H, and greater resistance to complement attack. Together these results suggest that cytolytic activities present during BV may enhance the ability of N. gonorrhoeae to capture intracellular metabolites and evade host immunity via glycan molecular mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney R Morrill
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sudeshna Saha
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ajit P Varki
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Warren G Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda L Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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15
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Minooei F, Kanukunta AR, Mahmoud MY, Gilbert NM, Lewis WG, Lewis AL, Frieboes HB, Steinbach-Rankins JM. Mesh and layered electrospun fiber architectures as vehicles for Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus crispatus intended for vaginal delivery. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 154:213614. [PMID: 37659215 PMCID: PMC10873095 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a recurrent condition that affects millions of women worldwide. The use of probiotics is a promising alternative or an adjunct to traditional antibiotics for BV prevention and treatment. However, current administration regimens often require daily administration, thus contributing to low user adherence and recurrence. Here, electrospun fibers were designed to separately incorporate and sustain two lactic acid producing model organisms, Lactobacillus crispatus (L. crispatus) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus). Fibers were made of polyethylene oxide and polylactic-co-glycolic acid in two different architectures, one with distinct layers and the other with co-spun components. Degradation of mesh and layered fibers was evaluated via mass loss and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that after 48 h and 6 days, cultures of mesh and layered fibers yielded as much as 108 and 109 CFU probiotic/mg fiber in total, respectively, with corresponding daily recovery on the order of 108 CFU/(mg·day). In addition, cultures of the fibers yielded lactic acid and caused a significant reduction in pH, indicating a high level of metabolic activity. The formulations did not affect vaginal keratinocyte viability or cell membrane integrity in vitro. Finally, mesh and layered probiotic fiber dosage forms demonstrated inhibition of Gardnerella, one of the most prevalent and abundant bacteria associated with BV, respectively resulting in 8- and 6.5-log decreases in Gardnerella viability in vitro after 24 h. This study provides initial proof of concept that mesh and layered electrospun fiber architectures developed as dissolving films may offer a viable alternative to daily probiotic administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Minooei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
| | - Abhinav R Kanukunta
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
| | - Mohamed Y Mahmoud
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
| | - Nicole M Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Women's Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Warren G Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amanda L Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Hermann B Frieboes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; UofL Health - Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
| | - Jill M Steinbach-Rankins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA.
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16
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Minooei F, Gilbert NM, Zhang L, Sarah NeCamp M, Mahmoud MY, Kyser AJ, Tyo KM, Watson WH, Patwardhan R, Lewis WG, Frieboes HB, Lewis AL, Steinbach-Rankins JM. Rapid-dissolving electrospun nanofibers for intra-vaginal antibiotic or probiotic delivery. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2023; 190:81-93. [PMID: 37479065 PMCID: PMC10530173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of probiotics as an alternative and adjunct to antibiotic treatment for microbiological disturbances of the female genitourinary system requires innovative delivery platforms for vaginal applications. This study developed a new, rapid-dissolving form using electrospun polyethylene oxide (PEO) fibers for delivery of antibiotic metronidazole or probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus, and performed evaluation in vitro and in vivo. Fibers did not generate overt pathophysiology or encourage Gardnerella growth in a mouse vaginal colonization model, inducing no alterations in vaginal mucosa at 24 hr post-administration. PEO-fibers incorporating metronidazole (100 µg MET/mg polymer) effectively prevented and treated Gardnerella infections (∼3- and 2.5-log reduction, respectively, 24 hr post treatment) when administered vaginally. Incorporation of live Lactobacillus acidophilus (107 CFU/mL) demonstrated viable probiotic delivery in vitro by PEO and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers to inhibit Gardnerella (108 CFU/mL) in bacterial co-cultures (9.9- and 7.0-log reduction, respectively, 24 hr post-inoculation), and in the presence of vaginal epithelial cells (6.9- and 8.0-log reduction, respectively, 16 hr post-inoculation). Administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus in PEO-fibers achieved vaginal colonization in mice similar to colonization observed with free Lactobacillus. acidophilus. These experiments provide proof-of-concept for rapid-dissolving electrospun fibers as a successful platform for intra-vaginal antibiotic or probiotic delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Minooei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Nicole M Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Longyun Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Mary Sarah NeCamp
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Mohamed Y Mahmoud
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Anthony J Kyser
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Kevin M Tyo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Walter H Watson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Ruta Patwardhan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Warren G Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA; Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Hermann B Frieboes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, KY 40202, USA; UofL Health - Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
| | - Amanda L Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA; Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Jill M Steinbach-Rankins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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17
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Romero R, Theis KR, Gomez-Lopez N, Winters AD, Panzer JJ, Lin H, Galaz J, Greenberg JM, Shaffer Z, Kracht DJ, Chaiworapongsa T, Jung E, Gotsch F, Ravel J, Peddada SD, Tarca AL. The Vaginal Microbiota of Pregnant Women Varies with Gestational Age, Maternal Age, and Parity. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0342922. [PMID: 37486223 PMCID: PMC10434204 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03429-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The composition of the vaginal microbiota is heavily influenced by pregnancy and may factor into pregnancy complications, including spontaneous preterm birth. However, results among studies have been inconsistent due, in part, to variation in sample sizes and ethnicity. Thus, an association between the vaginal microbiota and preterm labor continues to be debated. Yet, before assessing associations between the composition of the vaginal microbiota and preterm labor, a robust and in-depth characterization of the vaginal microbiota throughout pregnancy in the specific study population under investigation is required. Here, we report a large longitudinal study (n = 474 women, 1,862 vaginal samples) of a predominantly African-American cohort-a population that experiences a relatively high rate of pregnancy complications-evaluating associations between individual identity, gestational age, and other maternal characteristics with the composition of the vaginal microbiota throughout gestation resulting in term delivery. The principal factors influencing the composition of the vaginal microbiota in pregnancy are individual identity and gestational age at sampling. Other factors are maternal age, parity, obesity, and self-reported Cannabis use. The general pattern across gestation is for the vaginal microbiota to remain or transition to a state of Lactobacillus dominance. This pattern can be modified by maternal parity and obesity. Regardless, network analyses reveal dynamic associations among specific bacterial taxa within the vaginal ecosystem, which shift throughout the course of pregnancy. This study provides a robust foundational understanding of the vaginal microbiota in pregnancy and sets the stage for further investigation of this microbiota in obstetrical disease. IMPORTANCE There is debate regarding links between the vaginal microbiota and pregnancy complications, especially spontaneous preterm birth. Inconsistencies in results among studies are likely due to differences in sample sizes and cohort ethnicity. Ethnicity is a complicating factor because, although all bacterial taxa commonly inhabiting the vagina are present among all ethnicities, the frequencies of these taxa vary among ethnicities. Therefore, an in-depth characterization of the vaginal microbiota throughout pregnancy in the specific study population under investigation is required prior to evaluating associations between the vaginal microbiota and obstetrical disease. This initial investigation is a large longitudinal study of the vaginal microbiota throughout gestation resulting in a term delivery in a predominantly African-American cohort, a population that experiences disproportionally negative maternal-fetal health outcomes. It establishes the magnitude of associations between maternal characteristics, such as age, parity, body mass index, and self-reported Cannabis use, on the vaginal microbiota in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Romero
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kevin R. Theis
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrew D. Winters
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonathan J. Panzer
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Huang Lin
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jose Galaz
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jonathan M. Greenberg
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Zachary Shaffer
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - David J. Kracht
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Eunjung Jung
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Francesca Gotsch
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shyamal D. Peddada
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Adi L. Tarca
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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18
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Miranda O, Fan P, Qi X, Wang H, Brannock MD, Kosten T, Ryan ND, Kirisci L, Wang L. DeepBiomarker2: Prediction of alcohol and substance use disorder risk in post-traumatic stress disorder patients using electronic medical records and multiple social determinants of health. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2949487. [PMID: 37292589 PMCID: PMC10246255 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2949487/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Prediction of high-risk events amongst patients with mental disorders is critical for personalized interventions. In our previous study, we developed a deep learning-based model, DeepBiomarker by utilizing electronic medical records (EMR) to predict the outcomes of patients with suicide-related events in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. Methods We improved our deep learning model to develop DeepBiomarker2 through data integration of multimodal information: lab tests, medication use, diagnosis, and social determinants of health (SDoH) parameters (both individual and neighborhood level) from EMR data for outcome prediction. We further refined our contribution analysis for identifying key factors. We applied DeepBiomarker2 to analyze EMR data of 38,807 patients from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center diagnosed with PTSD to determine their risk of developing alcohol and substance use disorder (ASUD). Results DeepBiomarker2 predicted whether a PTSD patient will have a diagnosis of ASUD within the following 3 months with a c-statistic (receiver operating characteristic AUC) of 0·93. We used contribution analysis technology to identify key lab tests, medication use and diagnosis for ASUD prediction. These identified factors imply that the regulation of the energy metabolism, blood circulation, inflammation, and microbiome is involved in shaping the pathophysiological pathways promoting ASUD risks in PTSD patients. Our study found protective medications such as oxybutynin, magnesium oxide, clindamycin, cetirizine, montelukast and venlafaxine all have a potential to reduce risk of ASUDs. Discussion DeepBiomarker2 can predict ASUD risk with high accuracy and can further identify potential risk factors along with medications with beneficial effects. We believe that our approach will help in personalized interventions of PTSD for a variety of clinical scenarios.
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Rosário A, Sousa A, Varandas T, Marinho-Dias J, Medeiros R, Martins G, Monteiro P, Sousa H. Impact of cervicovaginal microbiome on the risk of cervical abnormalities development. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28762. [PMID: 37212334 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28762] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The vaginal microbiome has emerged as potentially influencing the natural history of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections and their clinical impact. We aimed to characterize the vaginal microbiome in samples from 807 high-risk HPVs (Hr-HPV) positive women with a mean age of 41.45 ± 10.79 years who participated in the Regional Cervical Cancer Screening Program from the Northern Region of Portugal. Microbiome analysis was performed with commercial kits for the detection of 21 microorganisms. The most frequent microorganisms were Ureaplasma parvum (52.5%), Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) (34.5%), Atopobium vaginae (AV) (32.6%), Lacto (30.7%), and Mycoplasma hominis (MH) (23.5%). The distribution according to age reveals that MH, Mega1, GV, BVab2, AV, and Mob were more prevalent in women older than 41 years of age (p < 0.050), while Lacto is significantly decreased in this group (23.5% vs. 39.4%, p < 0.001; RR = 0.47). The risk analysis showed that Hr-HPV-16/-18 and Hr-HPV-9val genotypes are associated with an increased risk of developing cervical abnormalities, while Lacto (p < 0.001; odd ratio [OR] = 0.33), GV (p = 0.0111; OR = 0.41), AV (p = 0.033; OR = 0.53) and Mob (p = 0.022; OR = 0.29) are associated with protection. Similar results were found for the risk of development atypical squamous cells cannot exclude HSIL/high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Overall, the multivariate analysis confirmed that lactobacillus and bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis (GV, AV, and Mob) are associated with protection against the development of cervical abnormalities. This study provides important data to be included in the future management of risk stratification for Hr-HPV-positive women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Rosário
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Sousa
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Department of Health Sciences, Escola Superior de Saúde do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
| | - Tatiana Varandas
- Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Marinho-Dias
- Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Medeiros
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Research Department, Portuguese League Against Cancer (LPCC-NRNorte), Porto, Portugal
| | - Gabriela Martins
- Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Monteiro
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Anatomic Pathology Service, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
| | - Hugo Sousa
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP)/RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Early Phase Clinical Trial Unit, Clinical Research Unit, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center Raquel Seruca (Porto.CCC), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto Superior de Saúde - ISAVE, Amares, Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, FFUP - Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Centro Hospitalar Entre Douro e Vouga EPE, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal
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Chen YC, Lee WC, Chuang YC. Emerging Non-Antibiotic Options Targeting Uropathogenic Mechanisms for Recurrent Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087055. [PMID: 37108218 PMCID: PMC10138837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most frequent bacterial infections in the clinical setting. Even without underlying anatomic or functional abnormalities, more than 40% of women experience at least one UTI in their lifetime, of which 30% develop recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) within 6 months. Conventional management with antibiotics for rUTIs may eventually lead to the development of multidrug-resistant uropathogens. Targeting of the pathogenicity of rUTIs, the evolution of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), and inadequate host defenses by immune responses should be explored to provide non-antibiotic solutions for the management of rUTIs. The adaptive evolution of UPEC has been observed in several aspects, including colonization, attachment, invasion, and intracellular replication to invade the urothelium and survive intracellularly. Focusing on the antivirulence of UPEC and modulating the immunity of susceptible persons, researchers have provided potential alternative solutions in four categories: antiadhesive treatments (i.e., cranberries and D-mannose), immunomodulation therapies, vaccines, and prophylaxis with topical estrogen therapy and probiotics (e.g., Lactobacillus species). Combination therapies targeting multiple pathogenic mechanisms are expected to be a future trend in UTI management, although some of these treatment options have not been well established in terms of their long-term efficacy. Additional clinical trials are warranted to validate the therapeutic efficacy and durability of these techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chen Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan
- Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chia Lee
- Division of Urology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Chi Chuang
- Division of Urology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
- Center for Shock Wave Medicine and Tissue Engineering, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
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Powell AM, Sarria I, Goje O. Microbiome and Vulvovaginitis. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 2023; 50:311-326. [PMID: 37149312 DOI: 10.1016/j.ogc.2023.02.005] [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: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Vulvovaginitis occurs in mostly reproductive aged women. Recurrent vaginitis affects overall quality of life, with a large financial burden on the patient, family, and health system. This review discusses a clinician's approach to vulvovaginitis with specific attention to the 2021 updated Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The authors discuss the role of the microbiome in vaginitis and evidence-based approaches for diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis. This review also provides updates on new considerations, diagnosis, management, and treatment of vaginitis. Desquamative inflammatory vaginitis and genitourinary syndrome of menopause are discussed as differential diagnosis of vaginitis symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maya Powell
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Phipps 249, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. https://twitter.com/annapbanana
| | - Isabella Sarria
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Oluwatosin Goje
- OB/GYN and Women's Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, A81, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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Kim JY, Moon EC, Kim JY, Kim HJ, Heo K, Shim JJ, Lee JL. Lactobacillus helveticus HY7801 ameliorates bacterial vaginosis by inhibiting biofilm formation and epithelial cell adhesion of Gardnerella vaginalis. Food Sci Biotechnol 2023; 32:507-515. [PMID: 36911333 PMCID: PMC9992491 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-022-01208-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is caused by a microbial imbalance in the vaginal ecosystem, which causes genital discomfort and a variety of potential complications in women. This study validated the potential of Lactobacillus helveticus HY7801 as a probiotic to benefit vaginal health. In vivo, HY7801 reduced the number of Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the vagina of GV-induced BV mice and ameliorated vaginal histological changes. In vitro, HY7801 exhibited positive resistance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, showed excellent adherence ability to the female genital epithelium, and had high lactic acid and H2O2 production capacity. Furthermore, it was found that HY7801 can alleviate BV because it can suppress the expression of virulence factor genes of GV involved in epithelial cell adhesion and biofilm formation along with antibacterial activity against GV. These results indicate that HY7801 can be used as a promising probiotic strain for the maintenance of a healthy vaginal physiological state. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01208-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo Yun Kim
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Chae Moon
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
| | - Ju-Yeon Kim
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Ji Kim
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
| | - Keon Heo
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Jung Shim
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Lyoul Lee
- R & BD Center, hy Co. Ltd., 22, Giheungdanji-ro 24beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 17086 Republic of Korea
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23
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Lanza M, Scuderi SA, Capra AP, Casili G, Filippone A, Campolo M, Cuzzocrea S, Esposito E, Paterniti I. Effect of a combination of pea protein, grape seed extract and lactic acid in an in vivo model of bacterial vaginosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2849. [PMID: 36807330 PMCID: PMC9938223 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28957-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal dysbiosis characterized by a malodorous discharge and irritation. The imbalance of the vaginal microbiota plays a key role in the development of BV. It has been demonstrated that Gardnerella vaginalis (GV), a facultative anaerobic bacillus, is involved in BV. Due to the rising number of antimicrobial-resistant species, recurrence of BV is becoming more frequent in women; thus, alternative treatments to antibiotics are needed. Natural substances have recently shown a great efficacy for the treatment of vaginal dysbiosis. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of a product containing pea protein (PP), grape seed extract (GS) and lactic acid (LA) in an in vivo model of Gardnerella vaginalis-induced vaginosis by intravaginal administration of GV suspension (1 × 106 CFU/20 µL saline). Our results demonstrated that the product containing PP, GS and LA significantly reduced GV proliferation. More specifically, it significantly preserved tissue architecture and reduced neutrophil infiltration, inflammatory markers and sialidase activity when used both as a pre- or a post-treatment. Moreover, the product displayed strong bioadhesive properties. Therefore, our data suggested that the product containing PP, GS and LA could be used as alternative preventive or curative treatment for the management of BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Lanza
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Sarah Adriana Scuderi
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Anna Paola Capra
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanna Casili
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessia Filippone
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Michela Campolo
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cuzzocrea
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Emanuela Esposito
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D 'Alcontres, 31, 98166, Messina, Italy.
| | - Irene Paterniti
- grid.10438.3e0000 0001 2178 8421Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D ’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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24
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Ng BK, Chuah JN, Cheah FC, Mohamed Ismail NA, Tan GC, Wong KK, Lim PS. Maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis. Front Surg 2023; 10:1084867. [PMID: 36860946 PMCID: PMC9968788 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2023.1084867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common infection in women of reproductive age group because of vaginal dysbiosis. The impact of BV during pregnancy is still not well defined. The objective of this study is to assess the maternal-fetal outcome in women with BV. Materials and Methods A prospective cohort study over one-year duration was conducted from December, 2014 until December, 2015, involving 237 women who presented with abnormal vaginal discharge, preterm labour or preterm prelabour rupture of membrane between 22- and 34-weeks period of gestation. Vaginal swabs were sent for culture and sensitivity, BV® Blue testing and PCR for Gardnerella vaginalis (GV). Results BV was diagnosed in 24/237 (10.1%) cases. The median gestational age was 31.6 weeks. GV was isolated from 16 out of 24 (66.7%) in the BV positive group. There was a significantly higher preterm birth rate, below 34 weeks (22.7% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.019) in women with BV. There was no statistically significant difference in maternal outcome such as clinical chorioamnionitis or endometritis. However, placental pathology revealed more than half (55.6%) of women with BV had histologic chorioamnionitis. Neonatal morbidity was significantly higher with exposure to BV, with a lower median birth weight, higher rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission (41.7% vs. 19.0%, p = 0.010), increased intubation for respiratory support (29.2% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.004) and respiratory distress syndrome (33.3% vs. 9.0%, p = 0.002). Conclusion More research is needed to formulate guidelines for prevention, early detection and treatment of BV during pregnancy to reduce intrauterine inflammation and the associated adverse fetal outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beng Kwang Ng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,Correspondence: Beng Kwang Ng
| | - Joo Ngor Chuah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fook Choe Cheah
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nor Azlin Mohamed Ismail
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Geok Chin Tan
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kon Ken Wong
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pei Shan Lim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Gholizadeh O, Yekanipour Z, Kivi S, Farahbod F, Aqayinejad M, Tasoujizade Y, Yasamineh S, Amini P, Akbarzadeh S, Hajiesmaeili M, Poortahmasebi V. Review of the evidence of the effects of human papillomavirus infection and Gardnerella vaginalis, and their co-infection on infertility. Microb Pathog 2023; 175:105980. [PMID: 36642287 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.105980] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A prevalent sexually transmitted infection, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is typically obtained just after the first sexual activity. The majority of HPV infections are asymptomatic and temporary. Cervical, anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers can occur due to recurrent infections with high-risk (hr)-HPV strains, generally decades later. Infections with HPV are significantly associated with reproductive function abnormalities. Per recent research, HPV infections may result in male infertility by reducing sperm motility. The hr-HPV infection was a risk factor for miscarriage, and the indiscriminate HPV genotype increased the probability of premature labor unexpectedly. Women's endometrial trophoblastic cell implantation is decreased by HPV. Gardnerella vaginalis (GV), an anaerobic bacterium that is a component of the natural vaginal flora, can be associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) when it starts to overgrow and emerge as the dominant species. Reduced Lactobacillus species abundance and GV are linked to female infertility. Data from in vitro studies suggests that sialidase produced by GV may facilitate the entry and growth of papilloma and other sexually transmitted viruses. Also, based on some studies conducted in the past, it can be said that GV and BV are associated with the development of uterine cancer. However, there is still not enough information about the exact mechanism of GV and HPV in causing infertility, which requires more research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Gholizadeh
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Yekanipour
- Department of Microbiology, Marand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran
| | - Setareh Kivi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
| | - Farnoosh Farahbod
- Obstetric & Gynecologist Specialist, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohadeseh Aqayinejad
- Reproductive Health Research Center, Al-Zahra Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Yalda Tasoujizade
- Health System Research (HSR), Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran
| | - Saman Yasamineh
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Parya Amini
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Sama Akbarzadeh
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Hajiesmaeili
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Shvartsman E, Perciani CT, Richmond MEI, Russell JNH, Tough RH, Vancuren SJ, Hill JE, KAVI-ICR, Jaoko W, McKinnon LR, Sandstrom PA, MacDonald KS. Gardnerella subgroup dominant microbiomes are associated with divergent cervicovaginal immune responses in a longitudinal cohort of Kenyan women. Front Immunol 2023; 13:974195. [PMID: 36726972 PMCID: PMC9886495 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.974195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Most cervicovaginal microbiome-immunology studies to date have relied on 16S rDNA microbial profiling which does not resolve the molecular subgroups of Gardnerella, believed to be central to the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and subsequent risk of HIV acquisition. Here we used the cpn60 universal target which in addition to other microbial taxa, resolves four Gardnerella subgroups, for cervicovaginal microbial profiling in a longitudinal cohort of Kenyan women to examine associations with cellular and soluble markers of inflammation and HIV susceptibility. Participants (N = 41) were sampled, contributing 362 samples for microbiome analysis. All non-Lactobacillus dominant microbial communities were associated with high pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Divergent associations were observed among different Gardnerella subgroup dominated communities with respect to the chemokine IP-10. Specifically, Gardnerella subgroup A dominant and polymicrobial communities were associated with reduced concentrations of IP-10 in adjusted linear mixed models (p<0.0001), compared to microbial communities dominated by Lactobacillus (non-iners) species. However, these associations did not translate to significant differences in the proportion or absolute number of CCR5, HLA-DR and CD38 expressed on cervical CD4+ T- cells. These findings suggest that some associations between Gardnerella subgroup dominant microbiomes and mucosal immunity differ and are relevant for the study of BV-pathogenesis and understanding the mechanisms of BV-associated HIV risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor Shvartsman
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Catia T. Perciani
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Meika E. I. Richmond
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Justen N. H. Russell
- JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Riley H. Tough
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Sarah J. Vancuren
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Janet E. Hill
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - KAVI-ICR
- Kenyan AIDS Vaccine Initiative-Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Walter Jaoko
- Kenyan AIDS Vaccine Initiative-Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lyle R. McKinnon
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
| | - Paul A. Sandstrom
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kelly S. MacDonald
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Kelly S. MacDonald,
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Park SH, Lee ES, Park ST, Jeong SY, Yun Y, Kim Y, Jeong Y, Kang CH, Choi HJ. Efficacy and Safety of MED-01 Probiotics on Vaginal Health: A 12-Week, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15020331. [PMID: 36678202 PMCID: PMC9863863 DOI: 10.3390/nu15020331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common disease in women of childbearing age and is caused by the growth of abnormal microbiota in the vagina. Probiotic consumption can be an effective alternative treatment to preserve or improve vaginal health. In the present study, MED-01, a complex of five strains of probiotic candidates isolated from the vagina of Korean women, was used. This study was designed as a 12-week, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MED-01 on vaginal health. A total of 101 reproductive-aged women with a Nugent score of 4-6 took MED-01 (5.0 × 109 CFU) or a placebo once a day, and 76 participants completed the procedure. MED-01 significantly reduced the Nugent score compared with the placebo. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that Lactobacillus plantarum was significantly increased in the vagina, whereas harmful bacteria such as Mobiluncus spp., Gardnerella vaginalis, and Atopobium vaginae were suppressed after 12 weeks of MED-01 ingestion. No adverse events to the test food supplements were observed in the participants. These results confirmed that MED-01 can be used as a probiotic for treating BV, as it improves the vaginal microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Ho Park
- Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, 665 Siheung-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 07442, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Sil Lee
- Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, 59 Daesagwan-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04401, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Taek Park
- Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, 665 Siheung-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 07442, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Young Jeong
- Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, 665 Siheung-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 07442, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeoul Yun
- Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, 59 Daesagwan-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04401, Republic of Korea
| | - YongGyeong Kim
- Mediogen, Co., Ltd., Biovalley 1-ro, Jecheon-si 27159, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yulah Jeong
- Mediogen, Co., Ltd., Biovalley 1-ro, Jecheon-si 27159, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Ho Kang
- Mediogen, Co., Ltd., Biovalley 1-ro, Jecheon-si 27159, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jin Choi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine Chung-Ang University, Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, 501 Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong-si 14353, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence:
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Leo F, Svensäter G, Lood R, Wickström C. Characterization of a highly conserved MUC5B-degrading protease, MdpL, from Limosilactobacillus fermentum. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1127466. [PMID: 36925480 PMCID: PMC10011156 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1127466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
MUC5B is the predominant glycoprotein in saliva and is instrumental in the establishment and maintenance of multi-species eubiotic biofilms in the oral cavity. Investigations of the aciduric Lactobacillaceae family, and its role in biofilms emphasizes the diversity across different genera of the proteolytic systems involved in the nutritional utilization of mucins. We have characterized a protease from Limosilactobacillus fermentum, MdpL (Mucin degrading protease from Limosilactobacillus) with a high protein backbone similarity with commensals that exploit mucins for attachment and nutrition. MdpL was shown to be associated with the bacterial cell surface, in close proximity to MUC5B, which was sequentially degraded into low molecular weight fragments. Mapping the substrate preference revealed multiple hydrolytic sites of proteins with a high O-glycan occurrence, although hydrolysis was not dependent on the presence of O-glycans. However, since proteolysis of immunoglobulins was absent, and general protease activity was low, a preference for glycoproteins similar to MUC5B in terms of glycosylation and structure is suggested. MdpL preferentially hydrolyzed C-terminally located hydrophobic residues in peptides larger than 20 amino acids, which hinted at a limited sequence preference. To secure proper enzyme folding and optimal conditions for activity, L. fermentum incorporates a complex system that establishes a reducing environment. The importance of overall reducing conditions was confirmed by the activity boosting effect of the added reducing agents L-cysteine and DTT. High activity was retained in low to neutral pH 5.5-7.0, but the enzyme was completely inhibited in the presence of Zn2+. Here we have characterized a highly conserved mucin degrading protease from L. fermentum. MdpL, that together with the recently discovered O-glycanase and O-glycoprotease enzyme groups, increases our understanding of mucin degradation and complex biofilm dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Leo
- Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.,Genovis AB, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gunnel Svensäter
- Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Rolf Lood
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Infection Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Claes Wickström
- Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden
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Gao J, Peng Y, Jiang N, Shi Y, Ying C. High-Throughput Sequencing-Based Analysis of Changes in the Vaginal Microbiome during the Disease Course of Patients with Bacterial Vaginosis: A Case-Control Study. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121797. [PMID: 36552306 PMCID: PMC9775478 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: The vaginal microbiome is closely associated with the onset and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV). In the present study, the state of vaginal microbiota during the onset and post-treatment asymptomatic stages of BV were compared to that of a healthy population to evaluate the changes in different characteristic bacteria during the onset, progression, and remission of BV. Methods: A case−control study was performed to explore these changes. Women with clinical symptoms of BV were divided into the disease group (M) and case−control group (C) based on the Nugent score. Subjects in the disease group whose symptoms were resolved after the treatment were assigned to the treated group (T) and healthy subjects were recruited into the normal control (N) group. The V3−V4 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Results: The N harbored the highest number of detected species and a higher abundance of microbiota; they had a significantly higher abundance of Lactobacillus and different bacterial community composition compared to the other three groups. In group M, Gardnerella vaginalis was the dominant species, whereas Lactobacillus iners was predominant in the other three groups. While Lactobacillus was more commonly present in Group C compared to group M. it was significantly increased in group T. Alpha diversity analysis of bacterial communities revealed significant differences in community richness and diversity among all four groups (p < 0.05). Significant differences in the distribution of various bacterial communities among the different groups were also observed (p < 0.05). Specifically, the abundance of eight bacterial taxa (Megasphaera, Aerococcus christensenii, Clostridiales, Gardnerella, Peptostreptococcus, Veillonellaceae, Akkermansia, Coriobacteriales) differed significantly among the four groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Significant differences in the composition and alpha diversity of the vaginal microbiota at different stages of BV and the distribution of bacterial communities were observed among the investigated groups. In addition to Gardnerella, Sneathia sanguinegens and Prevotella timonensis play an important role in the pathogenesis of BV. The appearance of BV-like clinical symptoms was closely associated with the decrease in Prevotella and Atopobium vaginae populations.
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Mahajan G, Doherty E, To T, Sutherland A, Grant J, Junaid A, Gulati A, LoGrande N, Izadifar Z, Timilsina SS, Horváth V, Plebani R, France M, Hood-Pishchany I, Rakoff-Nahoum S, Kwon DS, Goyal G, Prantil-Baun R, Ravel J, Ingber DE. Vaginal microbiome-host interactions modeled in a human vagina-on-a-chip. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:201. [PMID: 36434666 PMCID: PMC9701078 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01400-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A dominance of non-iners Lactobacillus species in the vaginal microbiome is optimal and strongly associated with gynecological and obstetric health, while the presence of diverse obligate or facultative anaerobic bacteria and a paucity in Lactobacillus species, similar to communities found in bacterial vaginosis (BV), is considered non-optimal and associated with adverse health outcomes. Various therapeutic strategies are being explored to modulate the composition of the vaginal microbiome; however, there is no human model that faithfully reproduces the vaginal epithelial microenvironment for preclinical validation of potential therapeutics or testing hypotheses about vaginal epithelium-microbiome interactions. RESULTS Here, we describe an organ-on-a-chip (organ chip) microfluidic culture model of the human vaginal mucosa (vagina chip) that is lined by hormone-sensitive, primary vaginal epithelium interfaced with underlying stromal fibroblasts, which sustains a low physiological oxygen concentration in the epithelial lumen. We show that the Vagina Chip can be used to assess colonization by optimal L. crispatus consortia as well as non-optimal Gardnerella vaginalis-containing consortia, and to measure associated host innate immune responses. Co-culture and growth of the L. crispatus consortia on-chip was accompanied by maintenance of epithelial cell viability, accumulation of D- and L-lactic acid, maintenance of a physiologically relevant low pH, and down regulation of proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, co-culture of G. vaginalis-containing consortia in the vagina chip resulted in epithelial cell injury, a rise in pH, and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the potential of applying human organ chip technology to create a preclinical model of the human vaginal mucosa that can be used to better understand interactions between the vaginal microbiome and host tissues, as well as to evaluate the safety and efficacy of live biotherapeutics products. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam Mahajan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Present address: Emulate, Inc, 27 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA, 02210, USA
| | - Erin Doherty
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tania To
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Arlene Sutherland
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer Grant
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Abidemi Junaid
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Aakanksha Gulati
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nina LoGrande
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zohreh Izadifar
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sanjay Sharma Timilsina
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Viktor Horváth
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Roberto Plebani
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Present address: Center on Advanced Studies and Technology, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d'Annunzio, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Michael France
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Indriati Hood-Pishchany
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Seth Rakoff-Nahoum
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Douglas S Kwon
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Girija Goyal
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Rachelle Prantil-Baun
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Donald E Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Vascular Biology Program and Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Zhou R, Lu J, Wang J, Xiao B. Vaginal Lactobacillus iners abundance is associated with outcome in antibiotic treatment of bacterial vaginosis and capable of inhibiting Gardnerella. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1033431. [PMID: 36483454 PMCID: PMC9723143 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1033431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis is characterized as a polymicrobial dysbiosis with the loss of Lactobacillus spp. and growth of multiple anerobic bacteria, including Gardnerella, Prevotella and Atopobium ranked as the top three most abundant. A total of nine Gardnerella genomospecies have been identified, yet the association between their distribution or any exact Lactobacillus species with BV occurrence or prognosis remains controversial. A total of 308 patients and 62 healthy women who sought annual examinations were recruited, with 130 BV patients and 41 healthy women who met our inclusion criteria finally included. Vaginal samples were used for microscopic examination, 16S rRNA sequencing, bacterial culture and isolation. Isolates of Gardnerella vaginalis, Fannyhessae vaginae (used to be called Atopobium vaginae) and Lactobacillus iners were used for competition tests. We found that the relative abundances of Gardnerella, Prevotella and Atopobium were elevated in BV patients compared to healthy people (p<0.0001), yet no significant differences were found among patients with different clinical outcomes (p>0.05). Seven out of nine Gardnerella genomospecies were present in both BV patients and healthy women, and the relative abundances of all detected genomospecies were higher in BV patients (p<0.05). Cured patients possessed higher GS03 than intermediate and failed patients (p=0.005, 0.0337). L. iners was significantly higher in cured patients than in the other two groups (p=0.0021, p<0.0001), and its ability to inhibit the growth of G. vaginalis and F. vaginae was validated. In summary, seven Gardnerella genomospecies were detected in Chinese BV patients, but no association of its distribution and BV occurrence or prognosis was found. The relative abundance of L. iners was higher in cured patients, and its antimicrobial activity against G. vaginalis and F. vaginae was validated through in vitro inhibition experiment. L. iners could become a predictive indicator of clinical outcomes of BV patients, and its antimicrobial function might be beneficial to BV patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Lu
- Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jun Wang, ; Bingbing Xiao,
| | - Bingbing Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jun Wang, ; Bingbing Xiao,
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Kosova IV, Barsegian VA, Loran OB, Sinyakova LA, Luk'ianov IV, Kolbasov DN, Kruzhalov AN, Alieva MI. Etiological factors of voiding disorders in females. CONSILIUM MEDICUM 2022. [DOI: 10.26442/20751753.2022.7.201791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Voiding disorders in females are a serious medical and social problem. Various urological, gynecological, and neurological factors contribute to the development of these disorders.
Aim. To study etiological factors of voiding disorders in females.
Materials and methods. A total of 52 women 19 to 81 years of age with various voiding disorders were inspected. Examination algorithm included collection of a comprehensive medical history, filling in voiding diaries, gynecological exam, various laboratory tests (including PCR-diagnostics of urethral scrapings; ELISA tests for IgM and IgG to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, Varicella Zoster virus, EpsteinBarr virus, cytomegalovirus; vaginal discharge culture for flora and sensitivity to antibiotics, with mandatory determination of the lactobacilli count) and diagnostic methods, as well as consultations by related specialists.
Results. Chronic herpesvirus infection contributed to urinary dysfunction in 28 (53.8%) women, bacterial urinary tract infection in 15 (28.8%), bacterial vaginosis in 15 (28.8%), papillomavirus infection in 12 (23.1%), and interstitial cystitis in 10 (19.2%) patients. Thirty-five (76.9%) women had several simultaneous factors that contributed to the development of voiding disorders.
Conclusion. The combination of disorders of the vaginal microflora with viral and/or bacterial infections most often contributes to the development of voiding disorders.
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ÖNER SZ, KALELİ İ, KALELİ B. Vajinal Mikrobiyal Türlerin Bakteriyel Vajinozis ve Human Papillomavirus ile İlişkisinin Araştırılması. KOCAELI ÜNIVERSITESI SAĞLIK BILIMLERI DERGISI 2022. [DOI: 10.30934/kusbed.1132919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study was aim to investigate the relationship of vaginal bacterial species with High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and bacterial vaginosis (BV).Methods: One hundred and twenty-one women were included in the study. Gram stain was performed for the diagnosis of BV and evaluated according to the Nugent score. HR-HPV diagnosis was made by real-time PCR . Detection of vaginal microbial species and Gardnerella vaginalis subtypes were also performed by real-time PCR.Results: The prevalence of BV was found as 38.8%. The mean number of species was found significantly higher in BV-positive samples compared to BV-intermediate and BV-negative samples (p=0.001). Lactobacillus iners (p=0.036), BVAB2 (p=0.043), Provetella spp. (p=0.015), Leptotrichia/Sneathia (p=0.001), Megaspheara (p=0.048) were found to be associated with bacterial vaginosis. Gardnerella vaginalis subtypes were evaluated in 50 randomly selected samples. The most common strain that was found was “clade 4”. The prevalence of HR-HPV was 9.9%. HPV 16 was the most common HR-HPV type (58.3%). There was no significant difference between the mean value of Lactobacillus sp. HR-HPV-positive and negative samples (p=0.23). No association was found between the specified species and HR-HPV-positive samples (p=0.436).Conclusion: Bacterial diversity was greater in BV-positive patients and BV was significantly associated with Lactobacillus iners, Megaspheara, BVAB2, Provetella spp. and Leptotrichia / Sneathia.
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Pino A, Mazza T, Matthews MAH, Castellana S, Caggia C, Randazzo CL, Gelbfish GA. Antimicrobial activity of bovine lactoferrin against Gardnerella species clinical isolates. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1000822. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1000822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gardnerella species play a key role in the development and recurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), a common imbalance of the vaginal microbiota. Because of the high rates of BV recurrence reported after treatment with standard of care antibiotics, as well as the emergence of antibiotic-resistant BV, the development of alternative treatment approaches is needed. Bovine lactoferrin, a well studied iron-binding glycoprotein with selective antimicrobial activity, may ameliorate vaginal dysbiosis either alone or in combination with antibiotics. The present study evaluated the antimicrobial resistance/susceptibility profile of seventy-one presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates to metronidazole and clindamycin. In addition, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Metrodora Therapeutics bovine Lactoferrin (MTbLF) against the tested clinical isolates, both alone and in combination with metronidazole and clindamycin, was in depth evaluated using defined-iron culture conditions. All 71 presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates exhibited resistance to metronidazole, with MIC values greater than 256 μg/ml. Different susceptibility profiles were detected for clindamycin. In detail, the vast majority of the tested strains (45%), exhibiting MIC lower than 2 μg/ml, were considered sensitive; 18 strains (25%) with MIC higher or equal to 8 μg/ml, were classified as resistant, whereas the remaining 21 (30%) were classified as intermediate. MTbLF was tested in culture medium at different concentrations (32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, and 0.5 mg/ml) showing ability to inhibit the growth of the tested presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates, including those metronidazole-resistant, in a dose-dependent and not in a strain-dependent manner. MTbLF, at concentrations ranging from 32 to 8 mg/ml, exerted a statistically different antimicrobial activity compared with lower concentrations (4, 2, 1, and 0.5 mg/ml). A synergistic effect between MTbLF (8 and 4 mg/ml) and clindamycin was revealed for all the tested strains. When tested in the absence of other sources of iron, MTbLF did not support the growth of the tested presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates. Bovine lactoferrin may be a potential candidate to treat Gardnerella species infection.
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Kılıç M, Beşli Y, Köseoğlu E, Palaoğlu EK, Esen T. Gardnerella vaginalis: Is it an Underestimated Cause of Urinary Symptoms in Males? INFECTIOUS DISEASES & CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 4:172-177. [PMID: 38633399 PMCID: PMC10986695 DOI: 10.36519/idcm.2022.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to investigate the detection rate of Gardnerella vaginalis by multiplex PCR test in the genitourinary samples of male patients with suspected urethritis and related symptoms. Materials and Methods A total of 144 male patients who presented to our department between February 2021 and October 2021, either with urinary symptoms or concerns following unprotected sex, were included in the study.A total of 128 (88.9%) first-void urine samples, 15 (10.4%) urethral swabs, and one (0.7%) semen sample were obtained. NeoPlex STI-14 Detection Multiplex PCR Kit (GeneMatrix Inc. Seongnam, South Korea) was used to investigate any of the following pathogens: Candida albicans, Chlamydia trachomatis, G. vaginalis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum,herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), Treponema pallidum , Streptococcus agalactiae, and Haemophilus ducreyi. The patients with positive results for G. vaginalis were retrospectively analyzed. Results The patients' median age was 37 (range: 21 to 71 years old). G. vaginalis was the most frequently detected microorganism (n=23; 15.9%). Other microorganisms found in order of frequency were U. urealyticum (n=19; 13.2%), U. parvum (n=15; 10.4%), C. trachomatis (n=11; 7.6%), M. genitalium (n=8; 5.6%), HSV-2 (n= 7; 4.9%), N. gonorrhoeae (n=6; 4.2), HSV-1 (n=2; 1.4%), M. hominis (n=1, 0.7%), and C. albicans (n=1, 0.7%). Fifteen patients (65%) were positive for one or two microbial agents together with G. vaginalis, while in eight patients (35%), G. vaginalis was the only isolated agent. Six of these eight patients and 14 of the remaining 15 were symptomatic. Conclusion With the introduction of multiplex PCR tests, including those for G. vaginalis, we can expect a higher detection rate of these species of bacteria in male genitourinary samples, which could be the cause of unexplained urinary/urethral symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mert Kılıç
- Department of Urology, VKF American Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Yeşim Beşli
- Department of Microbiology, VKF American Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Ersin Köseoğlu
- Department of Urology, Koç University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Tarık Esen
- Department of Urology, VKF American Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
- Department of Urology, Koç University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
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Abstract
The link between the maternal microbiome and offspring allergy is poorly defined. McCauley and colleagues now demonstrate that heritable bacteria are associated with infant asthma susceptibility and induce immunosuppression of allergic inflammation, suggesting significant implications for asthma-preventative interventions1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Tarrant
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - B Brett Finlay
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Anton L, Ferguson B, Friedman ES, Gerson KD, Brown AG, Elovitz MA. Gardnerella vaginalis alters cervicovaginal epithelial cell function through microbe-specific immune responses. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:119. [PMID: 35922830 PMCID: PMC9351251 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01317-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cervicovaginal (CV) microbiome is highly associated with vaginal health and disease in both pregnant and nonpregnant individuals. An overabundance of Gardnerella vaginalis (G. vaginalis) in the CV space is commonly associated with adverse reproductive outcomes including bacterial vaginosis (BV), sexually transmitted diseases, and preterm birth, while the presence of Lactobacillus spp. is often associated with reproductive health. While host-microbial interactions are hypothesized to contribute to CV health and disease, the mechanisms by which these interactions regulate CV epithelial function remain largely unknown. RESULTS Using an in vitro co-culture model, we assessed the effects of Lactobacillus crispatus (L. crispatus) and G. vaginalis on the CV epithelial barrier, the immune mediators that could be contributing to decreased barrier integrity and the immune signaling pathways regulating the immune response. G. vaginalis, but not L. crispatus, significantly increased epithelial cell death and decreased epithelial barrier integrity in an epithelial cell-specific manner. A G. vaginalis-mediated epithelial immune response including NF-κB activation and proinflammatory cytokine release was initiated partially through TLR2-dependent signaling pathways. Additionally, investigation of the cytokine immune profile in human CV fluid showed distinctive clustering of cytokines by Gardnerella spp. abundance and birth outcome. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study show microbe-specific effects on CV epithelial function. Altered epithelial barrier function through cell death and immune-mediated mechanisms by G. vaginalis, but not L. crispatus, indicates that host epithelial cells respond to bacteria-associated signals, resulting in altered epithelial function and ultimately CV disease. Additionally, distinct immune signatures associated with Gardnerella spp. or birth outcome provide further evidence that host-microbial interactions may contribute significantly to the biological mechanisms regulating reproductive outcomes. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Anton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Briana Ferguson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Elliot S Friedman
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kristin D Gerson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Amy G Brown
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Michal A Elovitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Gilbert NM, O’Brien VP, Waller C, Batourina E, Mendelsohn CL, Lewis AL. Gardnerella Exposures Alter Bladder Gene Expression and Augment Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Urinary Tract Infection in Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:909799. [PMID: 35782131 PMCID: PMC9245024 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.909799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic actinobacterium Gardnerella was first isolated from the bladder by suprapubic aspiration more than 50 years ago. Since then, Gardnerella has been increasingly recognized as a common and often abundant member of the female urinary microbiome (urobiome). Some studies even suggest that the presence of Gardnerella is associated with urological disorders in women. We recently reported that inoculation of Gardnerella into the bladders of mice results in urothelial exfoliation. Here, we performed whole bladder RNA-seq in our mouse model to identify additional host pathways involved in the response to Gardnerella bladder exposure. The transcriptional response to Gardnerella reflected the urothelial turnover that is a consequence of exfoliation while also illustrating the activation of pathways involved in inflammation and immunity. Additional timed exposure experiments in mice provided further evidence of a potentially clinically relevant consequence of bladder exposure to Gardnerella-increased susceptibility to subsequent UTI caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Together, these data provide a broader picture of the bladder's response to Gardnerella and lay the groundwork for future studies examining the impact of Gardnerella on bladder health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States,*Correspondence: Nicole M. Gilbert,
| | - Valerie P. O’Brien
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Chevaughn Waller
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ekatherina Batourina
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cathy Lee Mendelsohn
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amanda L. Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Huang Y, Li D, Cai W, Zhu H, Shane MI, Liao C, Pan S. Distribution of Vaginal and Gut Microbiome in Advanced Maternal Age. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:819802. [PMID: 35694547 PMCID: PMC9186158 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.819802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of the microbiome in women with advanced maternal age (AMA) is poorly understood. To gain insight into this, the vaginal and gut microbiota of 62 women were sampled and sequenced using the 16S rRNA technique. These women were divided into three groups, namely, the AMA (age ≥ 35 years, n = 13) group, the non-advanced maternal age (NMA) (age < 35 years, n = 38) group, and the control group (non-pregnant healthy women, age >35 years, n = 11). We found that the alpha diversity of vaginal microbiota in the AMA group significantly increased. However, the beta diversity significantly decreased in the AMA group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in the diversity of gut microbiota among the three groups. The distributions of microbiota were significantly different among AMA, NMA, and control groups. In vaginal microbiota, the abundance of Lactobacillus was higher in the pregnant groups. Bifidobacterium was significantly enriched in the AMA group. In gut microbiota, Prevotella bivia was significantly enriched in the AMA group. Vaginal and gut microbiota in women with AMA were noticeably different from the NMA and non-pregnant women, and this phenomenon is probably related to the increased risk of complications in women with AMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Huang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dianjie Li
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Cai
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honglei Zhu
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mc Intyre Shane
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Can Liao
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Can Liao, ; Shilei Pan,
| | - Shilei Pan
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Can Liao, ; Shilei Pan,
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Leske M, Bottacini F, Afli H, Andrade BGN. BiGAMi: Bi-Objective Genetic Algorithm Fitness Function for Feature Selection on Microbiome Datasets. Methods Protoc 2022; 5:42. [PMID: 35645350 PMCID: PMC9149982 DOI: 10.3390/mps5030042] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between the host and the microbiome, or the assemblage of microorganisms (including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses), has been proven crucial for its health and disease development. The high dimensionality of microbiome datasets has often been addressed as a major difficulty for data analysis, such as the use of machine-learning (ML) and deep-learning (DL) models. Here, we present BiGAMi, a bi-objective genetic algorithm fitness function for feature selection in microbial datasets to train high-performing phenotype classifiers. The proposed fitness function allowed us to build classifiers that outperformed the baseline performance estimated by the original studies by using as few as 0.04% to 2.32% features of the original dataset. In 35 out of 42 performance comparisons between BiGAMi and other feature selection methods evaluated here (sequential forward selection, SelectKBest, and GARS), BiGAMi achieved its results by selecting 6-93% fewer features. This study showed that the application of a bi-objective GA fitness function against microbiome datasets succeeded in selecting small subsets of bacteria whose contribution to understood diseases and the host state was already experimentally proven. Applying this feature selection approach to novel diseases is expected to quickly reveal the microbes most relevant to a specific condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Leske
- Department of Computer Sciences, Munster Technological University, MTU/ADAPT, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland;
| | - Francesca Bottacini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, MTU, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland;
| | - Haithem Afli
- Department of Computer Sciences, Munster Technological University, MTU/ADAPT, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland;
| | - Bruno G. N. Andrade
- Department of Computer Sciences, Munster Technological University, MTU/ADAPT, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland;
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Sanozky-Dawes R, Barrangou R. Lactobacillus, glycans and drivers of health in the vaginal microbiome. MICROBIOME RESEARCH REPORTS 2022; 1:18. [PMID: 38046360 PMCID: PMC10688826 DOI: 10.20517/mrr.2022.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
A microbiome consists of microbes and their genomes, encompassing bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, archaea, and eukaryotes. These elements interact dynamically in the specific environment in which they reside and evolve. In the past decade, studies of various microbiomes have been prevalent in the scientific literature, accounting for the shift from culture-dependent to culture-independent identification of microbes using new high-throughput sequencing technologies that decipher their composition and sometimes provide insights into their functions. Despite tremendous advances in understanding the gut microbiome, relatively little attention has been devoted to the vaginal environment, notably regarding the ubiquity and diversity of glycans which denote the significant role they play in the maintenance of homeostasis. Hopefully, emerging technologies will aid in the determination of what is a healthy vaginal microbiome, and provide insights into the roles of Lactobacillus, glycans and microbiome-related drivers of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodolphe Barrangou
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
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Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomics of Symbioses between Bacterial Vaginosis-Associated Bacteria. mSphere 2022; 7:e0016622. [PMID: 35491843 PMCID: PMC9241533 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00166-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection for women of childbearing age. Although 50% of women with BV do not have any symptoms, it approximately doubles the risk of catching a sexually transmitted infection and also increases the risk of preterm delivery in pregnant women.
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Su W, Qiu J, Mei Y, Zhang XE, He Y, Li F. A microfluidic cell chip for virus isolation via rapid screening for permissive cells. Virol Sin 2022; 37:547-557. [PMID: 35504535 PMCID: PMC9437619 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2022.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus identification is a prerequisite not only for the early diagnosis of viral infectious diseases but also for the effective prevention of epidemics. Successful cultivation is the gold standard for identifying a virus, according to the Koch postulates. However, this requires screening for a permissive cell line, which is traditionally time-, reagent- and labor-intensive. Here, a simple and easy-to-operate microfluidic chip, formed by seeding a variety of cell lines and culturing them in parallel, is reported for use in virus cultivation and virus-permissive host-cell screening. The chip was tested by infection with two known viruses, enterovirus 71 (EV71) and influenza virus H1N1. Infection with EV71 and H1N1 caused significant cytopathic effects (CPE) in RD and MDCK cells, respectively, demonstrating that virus cultivation based on this microfluidic cell chip can be used as a substitute for the traditional plate-based culture method and reproduce the typical CPE caused by virus infection. Using this microfluidic cell chip method for virus cultivation could make it possible to identify an emerging virus in a high-throughput, automatic, and unprecedentedly fast way. A simple microfluidic chip for tandem culture of different cell lines is achieved. The cell chip has been used for permissive cell screening and culture of viruses. The cell chip has advantages of being sample-, reagent-, and time-saving. The cell chip system holds potential for high-throughput and automated screening.
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Song Q, Xiao B, Huang H, Ma L, Zhang JV, Zhu Y. Influences of gestational diabetes mellitus on the oral microbiota in offspring from birth to 1 month old. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:289. [PMID: 35387603 PMCID: PMC8988340 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-04630-1] [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: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) had long-term influences on the health of their children. However, the influences of GDM on the oral microbiota, which was closely related to oral and systemic health in offspring, were less documented. The present study aimed to explore the oral microbiota of neonates born to mothers with GDM is differentially colonized compared with those born to mothers without GDM, and whether any such differences persist to 1 month of age. METHODS Oral samples were collected from children of mothers with (n = 20) and without GDM (n = 34) at birth and again at an average age of 1 month. The oral microbiota was characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing (V3-V4). Differences in diversity and composition according to maternal GDM status were assessed, and different metabolic functional pathways and microbial ecological networks were also analyzed. RESULTS Although no significant differences were observed in diversity metrics between GDM and non-GDM groups (P > 0.05), we found significant differences in the taxonomic composition of oral microbiota from phylum to genus level between the two groups, with the GDM group exhibiting less abundance of Veillonella in both "Day 1" (P < 0.001) and "Day 30" (P < 0.05) phases. Metabolic pathways analysis showed that 5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide biosynthesis and inosine-5'-phosphate biosynthesis were enriched in GDM subjects in the "Day 30" phase. Moreover, ecological network analysis revealed apparent differences between GDM and control groups, with the non-GDM group containing more high-degree nodes and microbial interactions compared with the GDM group. CONCLUSION Maternal GDM was associated with an altered oral microbial composition in neonates, although the distinct difference between GDM and non-GDM groups diminished in infancy. The oral microbiota functions and ecological networks differed dramatically between the two groups, highlighting the importance of maternal GDM status on initial oral microbiota in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiying Song
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Institute, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, No.56 Yulv Road, Baoan, 518100, Shenzhen, China.,Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Xiao
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Institute, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, No.56 Yulv Road, Baoan, 518100, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongli Huang
- Shenzhen Luohu Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Luohu, Shenzhen, 518019, China
| | - Liya Ma
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, No.56 Yulv Road, Baoan, Shenzhen, 518100, China
| | - Jian V Zhang
- Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yuanfang Zhu
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Institute, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, No.56 Yulv Road, Baoan, 518100, Shenzhen, China.
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Fang L, Ma R, Gao XJ, Chen L, Liu Y, Huo Y, Wei T, Wang X, Wang Q, Wang H, Cui C, Shi Q, Jiang J, Gao L. Metastable Iron Sulfides Gram-Dependently Counteract Resistant Gardnerella Vaginalis for Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2104341. [PMID: 35122408 PMCID: PMC8981900 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202104341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection found in women in the world. Due to increasing drug-resistance of virulent pathogen such as Gardnerella vaginalis (G. vaginalis), more than half of BV patients suffer recurrence after antibotics treatment. Here, metastable iron sulfides (mFeS) act in a Gram-dependent manner to kill bacteria, with the ability to counteract resistant G. vaginalis for BV treatment. With screening of iron sulfide minerals, metastable Fe3 S4 shows suppressive effect on bacterial growth with an order: Gram-variable G. vaginalis >Gram-negative bacteria>> Gram-positive bacteria. Further studies on mechanism of action (MoA) discover that the polysulfide species released from Fe3 S4 selectively permeate bacteria with thin wall and subsequently interrupt energy metabolism by inhibiting glucokinase in glycolysis, and is further synergized by simultaneously released ferrous iron that induces bactericidal damage. Such multiple MoAs enable Fe3 S4 to counteract G. vaginalis strains with metronidazole-resistance and persisters in biofilm or intracellular vacuole, without developing new drug resistance and killing probiotic bacteria. The Fe3 S4 regimens successfully ameliorate BV with resistant G. vaginalis in mouse models and eliminate pathogens from patients suffering BV. Collectively, mFeS represent an antibacterial alternative with distinct MoA able to treat challenged BV and improve women health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Fang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Institute of Translational MedicineDepartment of PharmacologySchool of MedicineYangzhou UniversityYangzhouJiangsu225009China
- Xishan People's Hospital of Wuxi CityWuxiJiangsu214105China
| | - Ruonan Ma
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Institute of Translational MedicineDepartment of PharmacologySchool of MedicineYangzhou UniversityYangzhouJiangsu225009China
| | - Xuejiao J. Gao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringJiangxi Normal UniversityNanchangJiangxi330022China
| | - Lei Chen
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Joint Laboratory of Nanozymes in Zhengzhou UniversityAcademy of Medical SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouHenan450052China
| | - Yanwu Huo
- National Laboratory of BiomacromoleculesInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Taotao Wei
- National Laboratory of BiomacromoleculesInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Xiaonan Wang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Qian Wang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Haojue Wang
- Xishan People's Hospital of Wuxi CityWuxiJiangsu214105China
| | - Chengjun Cui
- Xishan People's Hospital of Wuxi CityWuxiJiangsu214105China
| | - Qifeng Shi
- Xishan People's Hospital of Wuxi CityWuxiJiangsu214105China
| | - Jing Jiang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Lizeng Gao
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for NanozymeInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Institute of Translational MedicineDepartment of PharmacologySchool of MedicineYangzhou UniversityYangzhouJiangsu225009China
- Joint Laboratory of Nanozymes in Zhengzhou UniversityAcademy of Medical SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouHenan450052China
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Qin H, Xiao B. Research Progress on the Correlation Between Gardnerella Typing and Bacterial Vaginosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:858155. [PMID: 35402309 PMCID: PMC8990036 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.858155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common infectious disease of the reproductive tract in women of childbearing age. It often manifests as an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome, including a decrease in Lactobacillus and an increase in anaerobic bacteria. While Gardnerella spp. are considered a major cause of BV, they are also detected in the vaginal microbiome of healthy women. G. vaginalis was the only recognized species of Gardnerella until a recent study characterized three new species, G. leopoldii, G. piotii, and G. swidsinskii. This review describes the different types and genetic diversity of Gardnerella, as well as new findings on the correlation between different Gardnerella spp. and BV.
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Moon EC, Park MS, Lim T, Kim RH, Ji GE, Kim SY, Hwang KT. Antibacterial effect of cell-free supernatant fraction from Lactobacillus paracasei CH88 against Gardnerella vaginalis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4763. [PMID: 35306534 PMCID: PMC8934363 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08808-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in reproductive women, which is characterized by depleted level of lactic acid bacteria and overgrowth of anaerobes such as Gardnerella vaginalis spp. Lactic acid bacteria have been known to be beneficial for amelioration of BV, since they produce antimicrobial substances against G. vaginalis spp. The objectives of this study were to characterize different fractions of cell-free supernatant of Lactobacillus paracasei CH88 (LCFS) and investigate antibacterial activity of the LCFS fractions against G. vaginalis in-vitro and in-vivo. Antibacterial activity of the LCFS was stable during thermal treatment up to 120 °C for 30 min and maintained at pH ranging from 3.0 to 13.0 except pH 5.0. Fraction below 3 kDa of the LCFS partially lost its antibacterial activity after treatment with proteolytic enzymes. Precipitated protein fraction below 3 kDa of the LCFS (< 3 kDa LCFSP) inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of G. vaginalis. Treatment of L. paracasei CH88 or the < 3 kDa LCFSP attenuated G. vaginalis-induced BV in mice by inhibiting the growth of G. vaginalis, reducing exfoliation of vaginal epithelial cells, and regulating immune response. These results suggest that L. paracasei CH88 may have potential in ameliorating G. vaginalis-induced BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Chae Moon
- Department of Food and Nutrition, and Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- BK21 FOUR Education and Research Team for Sustainable Food & Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | | | - Taehwan Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, 4 Colby St., Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Ryun Hee Kim
- Department of Food and Nutrition, and Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- BK21 FOUR Education and Research Team for Sustainable Food & Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Geun Eog Ji
- Research Center, BIFIDO Co., Ltd, Hongcheon, 25117, Korea
| | - Sun Young Kim
- Research Center, BIFIDO Co., Ltd, Hongcheon, 25117, Korea
| | - Keum Taek Hwang
- Department of Food and Nutrition, and Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
- BK21 FOUR Education and Research Team for Sustainable Food & Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
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Choi SI, Won G, Kim Y, Kang CH, Kim GH. Lactobacilli Strain Mixture Alleviates Bacterial Vaginosis through Antibacterial and Antagonistic Activity in Gardnerella vaginalis-Infected C57BL/6 Mice. Microorganisms 2022; 10:471. [PMID: 35208925 PMCID: PMC8880492 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the anti-bacterial vaginitis (BV) effects of a mixture of five lactobacilli strains (LM5), containing equal amounts of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MG242, Limosilactobacillus fermentum MG901, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MG989, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei MG4272, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus MG4288), in HeLa cells and Gardnerella vaginalis (GV)-infected BV mice. All strains produced lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide, and were resistant to nonoxynol-9. LM5 significantly inhibited GV growth by 80%, exhibited good adhesion to HeLa cells, and significantly inhibited GV adhesion to these cells. In GV-infected mice, LM5 administered orally at 5 × 109 CFU/mouse significantly inhibited GV proliferation in the vaginal tract and significantly reduced myeloperoxidase activity, pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) levels, and nitric oxide levels in vaginal tissue lysates. Histopathological analysis of vaginal tissues revealed that LM5 markedly suppressed the exfoliation of vaginal epithelial cells. Overall, these results suggest that LM5 might alleviate BV by direct antibacterial and antagonistic activity in vaginal tissues of GV-infected mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-Im Choi
- Department of Health Functional New Materials, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.-I.C.); (G.W.)
| | - GaYeong Won
- Department of Health Functional New Materials, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.-I.C.); (G.W.)
| | - YongGyeong Kim
- MEDIOGEN, Co., Ltd., Biovalley 1-ro, Jecheon-si 27159, Korea; (Y.K.); (C.-H.K.)
| | - Chang-Ho Kang
- MEDIOGEN, Co., Ltd., Biovalley 1-ro, Jecheon-si 27159, Korea; (Y.K.); (C.-H.K.)
| | - Gun-Hee Kim
- Department of Health Functional New Materials, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.-I.C.); (G.W.)
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea
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Mechanistic Insights into Immune Suppression and Evasion in Bacterial Vaginosis. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:84. [PMID: 35128579 PMCID: PMC8818625 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02771-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The immunological response to bacterial vaginosis (BV) remains poorly understood and recurrent BV is still a major public health burden especially in the pregnant population. This article reviews the potential mechanisms by which BV-associated bacteria suppress and circumvent the host and microbial defence responses, and propagate their survival/dominance without overt inflammation. We discuss the composition of cervicovaginal mucosal barrier and the mechanism by which BV circumvents host defence: the degradation of the mucosal barrier and immunoglobulin A (IgA); the BV-associated organism Gardnerella vaginalis haemolysin (vaginolysin); diminished IgA response against vaginolysin; mucosal sialic acid degradation, foraging and depletion; inhibition of IL-8-induced neutrophilic infiltration; and metabolite-induced incapacitation of neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis. We also highlight the tolerance/resistance to both host and antimicrobial molecules mounted by BV-associated biofilms. A plausible role of sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (SIGLECS) was also suggested. Sialidase, which is often produced by G. vaginalis, is central to the immunosuppression, relapse and recurrence observed in BV, although it is supported by other hydrolytic enzymes, vaginolysin and immunomodulatory metabolites.
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Martoni CJ, Frederiksen AKS, Damholt A, Leyer G. Effects of a 10-Strain Oral Probiotic on Parameters of Vaginal Health and Microbial Community: A Pilot Clinical Study. Int J Womens Health 2022; 14:29-39. [PMID: 35082535 PMCID: PMC8786346 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s341046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the clinical effects of a 10-strain probiotic on parameters of vaginal health in a pilot, open label study in women with intermediate Nugent score (NS) or vaginal pH >4.5. Methodology A total of 43 healthy premenopausal women, ages 18 to 50 years, with NS of 4–6 or vaginal pH >4.5 were enrolled. Participants consumed a probiotic formulation (Feminine Support™), containing 8 lactobacilli and 2 bifidobacteria strains, with a daily dose of 2.5×1010 CFU for 28 (subgroup 1) or 42 (subgroup 2) days. Investigational visits occurred at day 0, 14, 28 and 42 with assessment of vaginal pH, NS and vaginal microbiota, via next-generation sequencing. Results A total of 36 participants were included in the analysis set, with 24 and 12 participants included in subgroups 1 and 2, respectively. In the analysis set, there was a significant reduction in vaginal pH, from baseline, at day 28 (mean change=−0.19, P = 0.047). Participants in subgroup 1 achieved a significant reduction in vaginal pH from baseline, at day 28 (mean change=−0.23, P = 0.029) and day 42 (mean change=−0.29, P = 0.008), while participants in subgroup 2 achieved a significant and quantitatively greater reduction in vaginal pH from baseline to day 42 (mean change=−0.64, P = 0.008). No significant changes in NS were reported, due in part to highly diverse baseline levels. Vaginal microbial abundance exhibited a majority lactobacilli abundance at baseline, which was maintained over the study period. Vaginal pH was inversely associated with lactobacilli abundance throughout the study (P < 0.005). The product was well tolerated with high compliance. Two participants reported adverse events with suspected causality, which were mild and resolved during the study. Conclusion This 10-strain probiotic formulation was well tolerated and helped reduce vaginal pH in women with intermediate NS or elevated vaginal pH. The study product warrants a randomized controlled trial to further assess efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anders Damholt
- Chr. Hansen A/S, Human Health, Hoersholm, DK-2970, Denmark
| | - Gregory Leyer
- Chr. Hansen A/S, Human Health, Hoersholm, DK-2970, Denmark
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