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Journal of Periodontal Research Jun 2017The oral microbiome may help to maintain systemic health, including how it affects blood glucose levels; however, direct evidence linking the oral microbiome with...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The oral microbiome may help to maintain systemic health, including how it affects blood glucose levels; however, direct evidence linking the oral microbiome with diabetes is lacking.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
We compared the oral microbiome profiles of 98 participants with incident diabetes, 99 obese non-diabetics and 97 normal weight non-diabetics, via deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.
RESULTS
We found that the phylum Actinobacteria was present significantly less abundant among patients with diabetes than among the controls (p = 3.9 × 10 ); the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.27 (0.11-0.66) for those individuals who had relative abundance higher than the median value. Within this phylum, five families and seven genera were observed, and most of them were less abundant among patients with diabetes. Notably, genera Actinomyces and Atopobium were associated with 66% and 72% decreased risk of diabetes with p-values of 8.9 × 10 and 7.4 × 10 , respectively. Stratified analyses by race showed that most taxa in this phylum were associated with diabetes in both black and white participants. This phylum was also less abundant among non-diabetic obese subjects compared to normal weight individuals, particularly genera Mobiluncus, Corynebacterium and Bifidobacterium, which showed p < 0.05.
CONCLUSION
Our study revealed that multiple bacteria taxa in the phylum Actinobacteria are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some are also associated with the prevalence of obesity, suggesting that the oral microbiome may play an important role in diabetes etiology.
Topics: Actinobacteria; Actinomyces; Adult; Aged; Bifidobacterium; Case-Control Studies; Corynebacterium; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Female; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Male; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Mouth; Obesity; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Risk Factors
PubMed: 28177125
DOI: 10.1111/jre.12432 -
MBio Jun 2015Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal bacterial imbalance associated with risk for HIV and poor gynecologic and obstetric outcomes. Male circumcision reduces...
UNLABELLED
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal bacterial imbalance associated with risk for HIV and poor gynecologic and obstetric outcomes. Male circumcision reduces BV-associated bacteria on the penis and decreases BV in female partners, but the link between penile microbiota and female partner BV is not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that having a female partner with BV increases BV-associated bacteria in uncircumcised men. We characterized penile microbiota composition and density (i.e., the quantity of bacteria per swab) by broad-coverage 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 165 uncircumcised men from Rakai, Uganda. Associations between penile community state types (CSTs) and female partner's Nugent score were assessed. We found seven distinct penile CSTs of increasing density (CST1 to 7). CST1 to 3 and CST4 to 7 were the two major CST groups. CST4 to 7 had higher prevalence and abundance of BV-associated bacteria, such as Mobiluncus and Dialister, than CST1 to 3. Men with CST4 to 7 were significantly more likely to have a female partner with a high Nugent score (P = 0.03). Men with two or more extramarital partners were significantly more likely to have CST4 to 7 than men with only marital partners (CST4 to 7 prevalence ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 2.92). Female partner Nugent BV is significantly associated with penile microbiota. Our data support the exchange of BV-associated bacteria through intercourse, which may explain BV recurrence and persistence.
IMPORTANCE
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is sexually associated but not considered a sexually transmitted disease. Our findings suggest that the uncircumcised penis is an important niche for BV-associated genital anaerobes. In addition, we found a link between extramarital sexual relationships and BV-associated bacteria in men, which parallels earlier findings of the association between sexual activity and BV in women. This suggests the sexual transmissibility of BV-associated bacteria. Reducing bacterial exchange by barrier methods and managing carriage of BV-associated bacteria in men may decrease BV persistence and recurrence in women.
Topics: DNA, Bacterial; DNA, Ribosomal; Female; Humans; Male; Microbiota; Mobiluncus; Penis; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sexual Partners; Uganda; Vaginosis, Bacterial; Veillonellaceae
PubMed: 26081632
DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00589-15 -
Animal Microbiome May 2023Managed southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) serve as assurance populations for wild conspecifics threatened by poaching and other anthropocentric...
BACKGROUND
Managed southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) serve as assurance populations for wild conspecifics threatened by poaching and other anthropocentric effects, though many managed populations experience subfertility and reproductive failure. Gut microbiome and host health are inextricably linked, and reproductive outcomes in managed southern white rhinoceros may be mediated in part by their diet and gut microbial diversity. Thus, understanding microbial dynamics within managed populations may help improve conservation efforts. We characterized the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome in the managed population of female southern white rhinoceros (n = 8) at the North Carolina Zoo and investigated the effects of seasonality (summer vs. winter) and age classes (juveniles (n = 2; 0-2 years), subadults (n = 2; 3-7 years), and adults (n = 4; >7 years)) on microbial richness and community structure. Collection of a fecal sample was attempted for each individual once per month from July-September 2020 and January-March 2021 resulting in a total of 41 samples analyzed. Microbial DNA was extracted and sequenced using the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene. Total operational taxonomic units (OTUs), alpha diversity (species richness, Shannon diversity), and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, linear discriminant analysis effect size) indices were examined, and differentially enriched taxa were identified.
RESULTS
There were differences (p < 0.05) in alpha and beta diversity indices across individuals, age groups, and sampling months. Subadult females had higher levels of Shannon diversity (Wilcoxon, p < 0.05) compared to adult females and harbored a community cluster distinct from both juveniles and adults. Samples collected during winter months (January-March 2021) possessed higher species richness and statistically distinct communities compared to summer months (July-September 2020) (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). Reproductively active (n = 2) and currently nonreproductive adult females (n = 2) harbored differentially enriched taxa, with the gut microbiome of nonreproductive females significantly enriched (p = 0.001) in unclassified members of Mobiluncus, a genus which possesses species associated with poor reproductive outcomes in other animal species when identified in the cervicovaginal microbiome.
CONCLUSION
Together, our results increase the understanding of age and season related microbial variation in southern white rhinoceros at the North Carolina Zoo and have identified a potential microbial biomarker for reproductive concern within managed female southern white rhinoceros.
PubMed: 37147724
DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00249-5 -
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences Nov 2017Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the prevalence of problematic pathogens and the clinical status of women with bacterial vaginosis...
Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the prevalence of problematic pathogens and the clinical status of women with bacterial vaginosis (BV). Materials and methods: Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, and Mobiluncus spp. were detected using a multiplex PCR assay, and their role in the infection of Bulgarian women with clinically heterogeneous BV was evaluated. Results: The predominant BV-associated pathogen identified was G. vaginalis with an incidence of 98.39%, followed by A. vaginae (68.05%) and Mobiluncus spp. at 17.01%. The coexistence of A. vaginae and G. vaginalis was more common in women with discharge (in 72.04%) and in patients with chronic recurrent BV than among asymptomatic or newly diagnosed BV cases (P < 0.05). Mobiluncus spp. was detected mostly in coinfections, in association with Trichomonas vaginalis. The coinfections were predominantly related to recurrent BV and with complications (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This is the first study about the correlation between problematic pathogens and clinically heterogeneous BV in Bulgarian women. High frequency of infection with key BV-related pathogens was observed in childbearing women. The incidence was shown to often correlate with coexistent T. vaginalis, with severity of infection, and with complicated and recurrent BV after unsuccessful treatments. Screening should be considered in reproductive health programs.
PubMed: 29151321
DOI: 10.3906/sag-1702-4 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2020Vaginal infection is a gynecological problem in women of reproductive age with multiple health outcomes. The most common forms of infection include bacterial vaginosis...
Vaginal infection is a gynecological problem in women of reproductive age with multiple health outcomes. The most common forms of infection include bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VC), and aerobic vaginitis (AV). Our main goals were to evaluate different types of vaginal infections in Ecuadorian women in a large urban area (Quito) and to characterize the vaginal microbiota colonization by opportunistic species. We collected vaginal swabs and epidemiological surveys from 414 women from June 2016 to July of 2017. We analyzed vaginal samples for the presence of any vaginal infection. The microbiological examination was done through Gram-stain, wet mount smears, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using primers for target genes, such as 16S rRNA (Atopobium vaginae, Mobiluncus mulieris, and Gardnerella species), ddl (Enterococcus faecalis), adk (Escherichia coli) and KER1 (Candida albicans) genes. Most women showed a healthy vaginal microbiota (66.7%). Nearly one-tenth (10.4%) of the participants had intermediate microbiota, and the remaining women (22.9%) had a single vaginal infection (BV, AV, or VC) or coinfections. From the 95 participants that had an infection, AV was the main diagnosed vaginal infection (51.6%), followed by BV (24.2%) and finally VC (7.4%). The remaining women (16.8%) showed coinfections, being BV and AV the most common coinfection. Using univariable logistic regression analyses we found an increased odds of healthy microbiota in women with a sexual partner (P = 0.02, OR = 1.64). Also, women in a free union relationship (P = 0.000, OR = 16.65) had an increased odds of having coinfections. On the other hand, the use of birth control (condom OR = 0.388 or other contraceptive method OR = 0.363) was associated with significantly lower odds of intermediate microbiota (P ≤ 0.05). We found no statistically significant differences between women with infection and a particular group age. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses we initially found an increased odds of having BV in women with M. mulieris (P = 0.020, OR = 4.98) and Gardnerella species (P = 0.010, OR = 4.16). Women with E. coli showed an increased odds of having AV (P = 0.009, OR = 2.81). The presence of C. albicans in women showed an increased odds of having VC (P = 0.007, OR = 17.94). Finally, women with M. mulieris showed a reverse odds of having healthy microbiota (P = 0.008, OR = 0.06). We found no statistically significant differences between women with symptomatic and asymptomatic infections or the presence of Enterococcus faecalis. We found using logistic regression analyses that M. mulieris was the most prevalent opportunistic pathogen among women with vaginal infection. Further studies should evaluate the possibility to use M. mulieris as a potential key predictor for vaginal infections.
Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal; Ecuador; Female; Humans; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Vagina; Vaginal Diseases; Vaginosis, Bacterial; Young Adult
PubMed: 33110095
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74655-z -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2020Pregnancy outcomes and women's health are directly affected by vaginal microbiota. This microbiota consists of a dynamic ecosystem of various microbes in different...
Pregnancy outcomes and women's health are directly affected by vaginal microbiota. This microbiota consists of a dynamic ecosystem of various microbes in different ratios, which in healthy conditions protect the vaginal epithelium from infections. However, cases of vaginal infection are regularly diagnosed in women of reproductive age, contributing to more severe outcomes. Therefore, our main goal was to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV), aerobic vaginitis (AV), and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) among Ecuadorian pregnant and non-pregnant women. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 217 women between 13 and 40 years old seeking primary healthcare in Carlos Andrade Marin Hospital (HCAM), Gynecological-Obstetric Hospital Isidro Ayora (HGOIA) and Center for Teaching Health Cipriana Dueñas during October 2018 to February 2019. The classical characterization of the vaginal microbiota was performed through microscopy by the Nugent criteria to evaluate the presence of BV, healthy and intermediate microbiota, by the criteria of Donders to determine the presence of AV and by the Marot-Leblond criteria to diagnose VVC. DNA extraction from vaginal samples and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis was performed to characterize the presence of spp., spp., and spp. Finally, quantification of the lactobacilli was performed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for samples from women with normal vaginal microbiota and women with AV. Our results showed 52% of women with healthy microbiota, 7% with intermediate microbiota, and 41% with vaginal dysbiosis, comprising 27% with AV, 8% with BV and 4% with VVC and 2% with co-infections or co-dysbiosis. Additionally, a higher amount of lactobacilli were found in pregnant women when compared to non-pregnant women, while AV cases were characterized by a significant drop of spp., more precisely, between 1E3 and 1E5 colony forming units (CFU)/ml. Finally, women with normal vaginal microbiota showed an average load of lactobacilli between 1E6 and 1E7 CFU/ml. This pilot study showed no statistically significant differences between pregnant and non-pregnant women, pointing to the possibility to use lactobacilli quantification for the prevention of future vaginal infections.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Lactobacillus; Microbiota; Pilot Projects; Pregnancy; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Vagina; Young Adult
PubMed: 32637367
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00303 -
International Journal of Microbiology 2021Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is extremely common among the African population and is associated with the transmission and acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)...
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is extremely common among the African population and is associated with the transmission and acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of BV among HIV-infected and -uninfected women in rural Eastern Cape province of South Africa. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2017 and March 2018 on women aged 18 years and above ( = 100), attending Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital and Ngangelizwe Community Health Centre with signs and symptoms suggestive of vaginal infection. High vaginal swabs were collected, and BV was diagnosed using Nugent's score. The prevalence rate of BV was 70% irrespective of HIV status. Of the 61 HIV-infected patients, 49 (80.3%) and 12 (19.7%) were BV positive and BV negative, respectively; whilst of the 39 HIV-uninfected women, 21 (53.8%) and 18 (46.2%) were BV positive and BV negative, respectively (OR = 3.5; CI: 1.4-8.5; =0.005). Women aged above 35 years were highly likely to develop BV (=0.049). The presence of species (>25 per high microscopic field) was significantly associated with BV among HIV-infected patients (=0.030). A recent history of antibiotic use (≤3 months) was significantly associated with BV among HIV-negative patients (=0.044). This study shows that BV is more prevalent among HIV-positive women than their HIV-negative counterparts, and its occurrence is higher among those aged above 35 years. The predominance of species in the vagina microbiota of HIV-infected women might play a significant role in the development of BV. These findings suggest that the treatment of BV could restore normal flora and reduce susceptibility to and transmission of HIV.
PubMed: 34335783
DOI: 10.1155/2021/9913878 -
Journal of Reproductive Immunology Apr 2018Perturbation of the choriodecidual space before the onset of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) could lead to a concomitant rise in both cervicovaginal fluid (CVF)...
Mid-gestational changes in cervicovaginal fluid cytokine levels in asymptomatic pregnant women are predictive markers of inflammation-associated spontaneous preterm birth.
OBJECTIVES
Perturbation of the choriodecidual space before the onset of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) could lead to a concomitant rise in both cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) cytokine and fetal fibronectin (FFN), and assessing the concentrations of both markers could improve the prediction of sPTB (delivery before 37 completed weeks of gestation). Therefore, we prospectively determined mid-trimester changes in CVF cytokine and FFN concentrations, and their predictive capacity for sPTB in asymptomatic pregnant women.
STUDY DESIGN
CVF collected at 20-22 weeks (n = 47: Preterm-delivered = 22, Term-delivered = 25) and 26-28 weeks (n = 50: Preterm-delivered = 17, Term-delivered = 33) from 63 asymptomatic pregnant women at risk of sPTB were examined. Cytokine and FFN concentrations were determined by multiplexed bead-based immunoassay and 10Q Rapid analysis (Hologic, MA, USA) respectively. The 20-22/26-28 weeks ratios of cytokines and FFN concentrations were compared between preterm- and term-delivered women using Receiver Operating Characteristics curves to predict sPTB. Also, bacterial 16S rDNA from 64 samples (20-22 weeks n = 36, 26-28 weeks n = 28) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction to determine associations between vaginal microflora, cytokine and FFN concentrations.
RESULTS
Changes in RANTES and IL-1β concentrations between 20-22 and 26-28 weeks, expressed as a ratios, were predictive of sPTB, RANTES (AUC = 0.82, CI = 0.62-0.94) more so than IL-1β (AUC = 0.71, CI = 0.53-0.85) and FFN (not predictive). Combining these markers (AUC = 0.83, CI = 0.63-0.95) showed similar predictive capacity as RANTES alone. FFN concentrations at 26-28 weeks correlated with IL-1β (r = 0.4, P = 0.002) and RANTES (r = 0.3, P = 0.03). In addition, there was increased prevalence of vaginal anaerobes including Bacteroides, Fusobacterium and Mobiluncus between gestational time points in women who experienced sPTB compared to the term women (P = 0.0006).
CONCLUSIONS
CVF RANTES and IL-1β in mid-trimester of pregnancy correlate with quantitative FFN. The levels of CVF RANTES and IL-1β decline significantly in women who deliver at term unlike women who deliver preterm. This observation suggests that sPTB may be characterised by sustained choriodecidual inflammation and may have clinical value in serial screening for sPTB if confirmed by larger studies.
Topics: Adult; Asymptomatic Diseases; Bacteroides; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Cervix Uteri; Chemokine CCL5; Female; Fibronectins; Gestational Age; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-1beta; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Premature Birth; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Vagina
PubMed: 29367099
DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2018.01.001 -
PeerJ 2018Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a microbial imbalance (i.e., dysbiosis) that can produce serious medical effects in women at childbearing age. Little is known, however,...
BACKGROUND
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a microbial imbalance (i.e., dysbiosis) that can produce serious medical effects in women at childbearing age. Little is known, however, about the incidence of BV or vaginal microbiota dysbiosis in pregnant teenagers in low and middle-income countries such as Ecuador. The scope of this exploratory analysis was to study the relationship between epidemiologic and microbial risk factors. Among the microbiology risk factors this study investigated five species, two of them know in preview studies as microbiology risk factors for BV development ( and ), and the last three known for being associated with a healthy vaginal tract (, and ). In addition, fastidious anaerobes known to be microbial risk factors for BV development in pregnant teenagers were searched as well, more exactly, , and .
METHODS
Ninety-five healthy adolescent pregnant women, visiting a secondary level hospital in Quito, Ecuador, were enrolled into the study in 2015. The enrolled patients were between 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. Four epidemiological risk factors were collected in a survey: age, civil status, sexual partners and condom use. Also, vaginal pH was measured as a health risk factor. DNA was extracted from endocervical and exocervical epithelia from all the patients' samples. PCR analysis was performed in order to characterize the presence of the eight bacterial species known as risk factors for BV development, targeting three anaerobes and five species. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify associated factors for the presence of anaerobic species using logistic regression.
RESULTS
The 95 vaginal microflora samples of these teenagers were analyzed. Two of the bacterial species known to cause BV: (100%) and (93.7%) were found in high prevalence. Moreover, the most predominant bacterial species found in the pregnant teenagers' vaginal tract were (92.6%), (89.5%) and (87.4%). In addition, the average vaginal pH measured in the study population was 5.2, and high pH was associated with the presence of the three-anaerobic species ( = 0.001). Finally, 's presence in the study decreased in 72% the occupation of the three anaerobes.
DISCUSSION
This work identified a high pH as a risk factor for BV anaerobes' presence in adolescent pregnant women. Moreover, this study identified and to be the most abundant species in our study population. From all fastidious anaerobes analyzed in this study, was present in all pregnant teenagers. To conclude, could be a potential healthy vaginal microbiota candidate in pregnant teenagers and should be further analyzed in future studies.
PubMed: 29492333
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4317 -
Military Medical Research 2016Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal disorder in women of reproductive age. Since the initial work of Leopoldo in 1953 and Gardner and Dukes in 1955, researchers... (Review)
Review
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal disorder in women of reproductive age. Since the initial work of Leopoldo in 1953 and Gardner and Dukes in 1955, researchers have not been able to identify the causative etiologic agent of BV. There is increasing evidence, however, that BV occurs when Lactobacillus spp., the predominant species in healthy vaginal flora, are replaced by anaerobic bacteria, such as Gardenella vaginalis, Mobiluncus curtisii, M. mulieris, other anaerobic bacteria and/or Mycoplasma hominis. Worldwide, it estimated that 20-30 % of women of reproductive age attending sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics suffer from BV, and that its prevalence can be as high as 50-60 % in high-risk populations (e.g., those who practice commercial sex work (CSW). Epidemiological data show that women are more likely to report BV if they: 1) have had a higher number of lifetime sexual partners; 2) are unmarried; 3) have engaged in their first intercourse at a younger age; 4) have engaged in CSW, and 5) practice regular douching. In the past decade, several studies have provided evidence on the contribution of sexual activity to BV. However, it is difficult to state that BV is a STI without being able to identify the etiologic agent. BV has also emerged as a public health problem due to its association with other STIs, including: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG). The most recent evidence on the association between BV and CT/NG infection comes from two secondary analyses of cohort data conducted among women attending STI clinics. Based on these studies, women with BV had a 1.8 and 1.9-fold increased risk for NG and CT infection, respectively. Taken together, BV is likely a risk factor or at least an important contributor to subsequent NG or CT infection in high-risk women. Additional research is required to determine whether this association is also present in other low-risk sexually active populations, such as among women in the US military. It is essential to conduct large scale cross-sectional or population-based case-control studies to investigate the role of BV as a risk factor for CT/NG infections. These studies could lead to the development of interventions aimed at reducing the burden associated with bacterial STIs worldwide.
PubMed: 26877884
DOI: 10.1186/s40779-016-0074-5