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PloS One 2012Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiotas are associated with reproductive health and STI resistance in women, whereas altered microbiotas are associated with...
Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiotas are associated with reproductive health and STI resistance in women, whereas altered microbiotas are associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), STI risk and poor reproductive outcomes. Putative vaginal taxa have been observed in male first-catch urine, urethral swab and coronal sulcus (CS) specimens but the significance of these observations is unclear. We used 16 S rRNA sequencing to characterize the microbiota of the CS and urine collected from 18 adolescent men over three consecutive months. CS microbiotas of most participants were more stable than their urine microbiotas and the composition of CS microbiotas were strongly influenced by circumcision. BV-associated taxa, including Atopobium, Megasphaera, Mobiluncus, Prevotella and Gemella, were detected in CS specimens from sexually experienced and inexperienced participants. In contrast, urine primarily contained taxa that were not abundant in CS specimens. Lactobacilllus and Streptococcus were major urine taxa but their abundance was inversely correlated. In contrast, Sneathia, Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma were only found in urine from sexually active participants. Thus, the CS and urine support stable and distinct bacterial communities. Finally, our results suggest that the penis and the urethra can be colonized by a variety of BV-associated taxa and that some of these colonizations result from partnered sexual activity.
Topics: Adolescent; Bacteria; Circumcision, Male; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Metagenome; Penis; RNA, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sexual Partners; Urethra; Urine; Vaginosis, Bacterial
PubMed: 22606251
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036298 -
BMC Microbiology May 2009The microflora of the penile skin-lined neovagina in male-to-female transsexuals is a recently created microbial niche which thus far has been characterized only to a...
BACKGROUND
The microflora of the penile skin-lined neovagina in male-to-female transsexuals is a recently created microbial niche which thus far has been characterized only to a very limited extent. Yet the knowledge of this microflora can be considered as essential to the follow-up of transsexual women. The primary objective of this study was to map the neo-vaginal microflora in a group of 50 transsexual women for whom a neovagina was constructed by means of the inverted penile skin flap technique. Secondary objectives were to describe possible correlations of this microflora with multiple patients' characteristics, such as sexual orientation, the incidence of vaginal irritation and malodorous vaginal discharge.
RESULTS
Based on Gram stain the majority of smears revealed a mixed microflora that had some similarity with bacterial vaginosis (BV) microflora and that contained various amounts of cocci, polymorphous Gram-negative and Gram-positive rods, often with fusiform and comma-shaped rods, and sometimes even with spirochetes. Candida cells were not seen in any of the smears. On average 8.6 species were cultured per woman. The species most often found were: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus anginosus group spp., Enterococcus faecalis, Corynebacterium sp., Mobiluncus curtisii and Bacteroides ureolyticus. Lactobacilli were found in only one of 30 women. There was no correlation between dilatation habits, having coitus, rinsing habits and malodorous vaginal discharge on the one hand and the presence of a particular species on the other. There was however a highly significant correlation between the presence of E. faecalis on the one hand and sexual orientation and coitus on the other (p = 0.003 and p = 0.027 respectively). Respectively 82%, 58% and 30% of the samples showed an amplicon after amplification with M. curtisii, Atopobium vaginae and Gardnerella vaginalis primer sets.
CONCLUSION
Our study is the first to describe the microflora of the penile skin-lined neovagina of transsexual women. It reveals a mixed microflora of aerobe and anaerobe species usually found either on the skin, in the intestinal microflora or in a BV microflora.
Topics: Adult; Bacteria; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Female; Humans; RNA, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Species Specificity; Transsexualism; Vagina
PubMed: 19457233
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-102 -
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and... Nov 2018The long-term use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) may lead to biofilm formation on the surface. The aim of this study was to perform the culture- and PCR-based detection...
Culture- and PCR-based detection of BV associated microbiological profile of the removed IUDs and correlation with the time period of IUD in place and the presence of the symptoms of genital tract infection.
OBJECTIVES
The long-term use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) may lead to biofilm formation on the surface. The aim of this study was to perform the culture- and PCR-based detection of bacteria/fungi from the biofilm of the removed IUDs with different time periods in place.
METHODS
For a 2-year period, 100 IUD users were involved in the study. In the majority of the cases, IUDs were removed because of the patients' complaints. Beside the aerobic and anaerobic culture, species-specific PCR was carried out to detect Chlamydia trachomatis Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the "signalling" bacteria of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in the biofilm removed by vortexing.
RESULTS
Sixty-eight percent of IUDs were used for more than 5 years, 32% were removed after 10 years in place. In 28% of the IUDs ≥ 3 different anaerobic species typically found in BV with or without other aerobic bacteria were found by culture method. Streptococcus agalactiae (14%) and Actinomyces spp. (18%) were also isolated frequently. The PCR detection of Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Mobiluncus spp. and Ureaplasma urealyticum were 62%, 32%, 23% and 16%, respectively. Seventy-six percent of the IUDs were PCR positive at least for one "signalling" bacterium of BV. C. trachomatis was detected by PCR only in one IUD together with other aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, while the presence of N. gonorrhoeae could not be confirmed from the biofilm of these removed devices.
CONCLUSION
Sexually transmitted infections (STI)-related bacteria-except for one patient-were not detected on the IUDs removed due to different reasons including clinical symptoms of infection. Presence of any BV "signaling" anaerobic bacteria were detected in a much higher number in the biofilm of the removed IUDs by PCR-based method compared to use culture method (76 versus 28 samples). Different aerobic and anaerobic bacteria colonized an equal number of IUDs, independent of the time-period in place, which may be relevant, if the IUD is removed due to planned pregnancy or due to a fear from upper genital tract infection caused by anaerobic bacteria including Actinomyces spp.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Biofilms; Female; Humans; Intrauterine Devices; Middle Aged; Reproductive Tract Infections; Time Factors; Vaginosis, Bacterial; Young Adult
PubMed: 30466466
DOI: 10.1186/s12941-018-0293-6 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2020colonization is important to maintain urogenital flora stability and prevent pathogenic infection. Different species have distinct properties and effects on the...
colonization is important to maintain urogenital flora stability and prevent pathogenic infection. Different species have distinct properties and effects on the urogenital flora. To select probiotics that colonize the vagina and provide protection against pathogenic infection, we evaluated the adhesion of five strains and their inhibitory effects on the adhesion of pathogens to vaginal epithelial cells (VECs). (1) adhesion experiments: VK2/E6E7 and primary VECs were used to evaluate the adhesion of two and three strains. The adhesion of these five strains was compared. (2) Adhesion inhibition experiments: The inhibitory effects of the five strains on the adhesion of pathogens (, and ) were evaluated by adhesion exclusion, displacement, and competition experiments. (1) adhesion was stronger in the primary VECs than in the VK2/E6E7 VECs ( < 0.05). The adhesion of the three strains was stronger than that of the two strains ( < 0.05). 4# showed the strongest adhesion. (2) The exclusion, displacement, and competition experiments showed that all five strains significantly inhibited the adhesion of the seven pathogenic strains to the VECs ( < 0.05). The displacement effect was stronger than the exclusion and competition effects of each strain. (3) The results of the exclusion, displacement, and competition experiments indicated that 1# showed the strongest adhesion inhibition of and . 3# showed the strongest adhesion inhibition of , whereas 4# showed the strongest adhesion inhibition of , and . The source of the VECs might not affect the selection of the most adhesive strain. showed stronger VEC adhesion than . The degree of antagonism of the strains toward the different pathogens varied. This result provides incentives for personalized clinical treatment.
PubMed: 32637420
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.00284 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Aug 2005Seventeen human clinical isolates representing four species of Desulfovibrio were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequences and tests for catalase, indole, nitrate,... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Seventeen human clinical isolates representing four species of Desulfovibrio were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequences and tests for catalase, indole, nitrate, bile, urease, formate-fumarate stimulation, desulfoviridin, motility, and hydrogen sulfide production, plus susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Eighty additional strains representing 10 phenotypically similar genera (Bilophila, Selenomonas, Capnocytophaga, Campylobacter, Bacteroides, Sutterella, Anaerobiospirillum, Dialister, Veillonella, and Mobiluncus) were included for comparison. All Desulfovibrio species produced H2S and were desulfoviridin positive, and all Desulfovibrio species except D. piger were motile. The four Desulfovibrio species could be distinguished from each other using tests for catalase, indole, nitrate, urease, and growth on bile, with the following results (positive [+], negative [-], growth [G], and no growth [NG]): for D. piger, -, -, -, -, and G, respectively; for D. fairfieldensis, +, -, +, -, and G, respectively; for D. desulfuricans, -, -, +, +, and NG, respectively; and for D. vulgaris, -, +, -, -, and G, respectively. Resistance to the 10-microg colistin disk separated the Desulfovibrio species from most of the other genera, which were usually susceptible. These simple tests were useful for characterizing the Desulfovibrio species and differentiating them from other phenotypically similar genera.
Topics: Desulfovibrio; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phenotype
PubMed: 16081948
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.4041-4045.2005 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Jan 1994The vaginal microflora of 49 women in idiopathic preterm labor was compared with that of 38 term controls to determine whether the presence of bacterial vaginosis (BV)...
The vaginal microflora of 49 women in idiopathic preterm labor was compared with that of 38 term controls to determine whether the presence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and/or specific microorganisms would influence the rate of preterm delivery. Demographic factors, pregnancy outcome, and reproductive history were also studied. BV, as defined by the presence of clue cells in a vaginal wet mount and characteristic microbial findings in a stained vaginal smear and vaginal culture, was more common in women with preterm labor and delivery than in controls (P < 0.01). The condition, diagnosed in 41% of women who had both preterm labor and delivery (n = 22) and in 11% each of women who had preterm labor but term delivery (n = 27) and controls, was associated with a 2.1-fold risk (95% confidence intervals, 1.2 to 3.7) for preterm birth prior to 37 weeks of gestation. BV was associated with low birth weight. Of 49 women with preterm labor, 67% (8 of 12) of women with BV were delivered of low-birth-weight neonates (< 2,500 g) compared with 22% (8 of 37) of women without the condition (P < 0.0005). The presence of hydrogen peroxide-producing facultative Lactobacillus spp. was strongly negatively associated with both preterm delivery and BV. BV-associated microorganisms, i.e., Mobiluncus, Prevotella, and Peptostreptococcus species, Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Mycoplasma hominis, and high numbers of Gardnerella vaginalis were significantly associated with preterm delivery; all species also strongly associated with BV (P = 0.0001 for each comparison). Mobiluncus curtisii and Fusobacterium nucleatum were recovered exclusively from women with preterm delivery. Our study clearly indicates that BV and its associated organisms are correlated with idiopathic premature delivery.
Topics: Adult; Causality; Demography; Female; Hospitals, Community; Humans; Lactobacillus; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Reproductive History; Risk Factors; Sweden; Vagina; Vaginosis, Bacterial; Yeasts
PubMed: 8126176
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.32.1.176-186.1994 -
Nature Communications Mar 2019Failure to predict and understand the causes of preterm birth, the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, have limited effective interventions and...
Failure to predict and understand the causes of preterm birth, the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, have limited effective interventions and therapeutics. From a cohort of 2000 pregnant women, we performed a nested case control study on 107 well-phenotyped cases of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and 432 women delivering at term. Using innovative Bayesian modeling of cervicovaginal microbiota, seven bacterial taxa were significantly associated with increased risk of sPTB, with a stronger effect in African American women. However, higher vaginal levels of β-defensin-2 lowered the risk of sPTB associated with cervicovaginal microbiota in an ethnicity-dependent manner. Surprisingly, even in Lactobacillus spp. dominated cervicovaginal microbiota, low β-defensin-2 was associated with increased risk of sPTB. These findings hold promise for diagnostics to accurately identify women at risk for sPTB early in pregnancy. Therapeutic strategies could include immune modulators and microbiome-based therapeutics to reduce this significant health burden.
Topics: Adult; Bayes Theorem; Biomarkers; Black People; Case-Control Studies; Cervix Uteri; Female; Gene Expression; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Infant, Newborn; Lactobacillus; Microbiota; Mobiluncus; Pregnancy; Premature Birth; Prognosis; Risk; Vagina; White People; beta-Defensins
PubMed: 30899005
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09285-9 -
Journal of Endodontics Aug 2016The purpose of this study was to combine multiple displacement amplification and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the...
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study was to combine multiple displacement amplification and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the microbiota present in infections refractory to endodontic treatment.
METHODS
The subjects of this study were 40 patients presenting with periapical lesions refractory to endodontic treatment. Samples were taken by scraping or filing root canal walls with a #10 K-type hand file. Sample DNA was amplified by multiple displacement amplification, and the levels of 107 bacterial taxa were analyzed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. The taxa were divided into 3 distinct microbial populations depending on their mean proportion in samples (% DNA probe counts ± standard error of the mean) as follows: dominant (≥3.0%), subdominant (>1.6%-3.0%), and residual (≤1.6%) populations. The significance of differences was determined using the Mann-Whitney test.
RESULTS
The taxa present with the highest mean proportions (constituting the dominant population) were Corynebacterium diphtheriae (8.03 ± 0.98), Porphyromonas gingivalis (5.42 ± 2.09), Streptococcus sobrinus (5.33 ± 0.69), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (4.72 ± 1.73). Among the subdominant population were Eubacterium saphenum (3.85 ± 1.06), Helicobacter pylori (3.16 ± 0.62), Dialister pneumosintes (3.12 ± 1.1), Clostridium difficile (2.74 ± 0.41), Enterobacter agglomerans (2.64 ± 0.54), Salmonella enterica (2.51 ± 0.52), Mobiluncus mulieris (2.44 ± 0.6), and Klebsiella oxytoca (2.32 ± 0.66). In the population of bacteria present at the lowest mean proportions (the residual population), Bacteroides ureolyticus (0.04 ± 0.01), Haemophilus influenzae (0.04 ± 0.02), and Prevotella oris (0.01 ± 0.01) were found at the lowest mean proportions. Enterococcus faecalis was detected in the residual population (0.52 ± 0.26).
CONCLUSIONS
The microbial climax community in teeth refractory to endodontic treatment not only harbors medically important species but also contains distinct microbial consortia present with different population levels.
Topics: Bacteria; DNA Probes; DNA, Bacterial; Dental Pulp Cavity; Dental Pulp Necrosis; Humans; Microbiota; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Periapical Diseases; Root Canal Therapy
PubMed: 27377440
DOI: 10.1016/j.joen.2016.05.014 -
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Oct 2012Some vaginal bacterial communities are thought to prevent infection by sexually transmitted organisms. Prior work demonstrated that the vaginal microbiota of...
OBJECTIVES
Some vaginal bacterial communities are thought to prevent infection by sexually transmitted organisms. Prior work demonstrated that the vaginal microbiota of reproductive-age women cluster into 5 types of bacterial communities; 4 dominated by Lactobacillus species (L. iners, L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L. jensenii) and 1 (termed community state type (CST) IV) lacking significant numbers of lactobacilli and characterized by higher proportions of Atopobium, Prevotella, Parvimonas, Sneathia, Gardnerella, Mobiluncus, and other taxa. We sought to evaluate the relationship between vaginal bacterial composition and Trichomonas vaginalis.
METHODS
Self-collected vaginal swabs were obtained cross-sectionally from 394 women equally representing 4 ethnic/racial groups. T. vaginalis screening was performed using PCR targeting the 18S rRNA and β-tubulin genes. Vaginal bacterial composition was characterized by pyrosequencing of barcoded 16S rRNA genes. A panel of 11 microsatellite markers was used to genotype T. vaginalis. The association between vaginal microbiota and T. vaginalis was evaluated by exact logistic regression.
RESULTS
T. vaginalis was detected in 2.8% of participants (11/394). Of the 11 T. vaginalis-positive cases, 8 (72%) were categorized as CST-IV, 2 (18%) as communities dominated by L. iners, and 1 (9%) as L. crispatus-dominated (P = 0.05). CST-IV microbiota were associated with an 8-fold increased odds of detecting T. vaginalis compared with women in the L. crispatus-dominated state (OR: 8.26, 95% CI: 1.07-372.65). Seven of the 11 T. vaginalis isolates were assigned to 2 genotypes.
CONCLUSION
T. vaginalis was associated with vaginal microbiota consisting of low proportions of lactobacilli and high proportions of Mycoplasma, Parvimonas, Sneathia, and other anaerobes.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Black or African American; Asian; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Cluster Analysis; Female; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Lactobacillus; Metagenome; Middle Aged; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Species Specificity; Trichomonas Vaginitis; Trichomonas vaginalis; United States; Vagina; White People; Young Adult
PubMed: 23007708
DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3182631c79 -
PloS One 2013Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent condition associated with adverse health outcomes. Gram stain analysis of vaginal fluid is the standard for confirming the...
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent condition associated with adverse health outcomes. Gram stain analysis of vaginal fluid is the standard for confirming the diagnosis of BV, wherein abundances of key bacterial morphotypes are assessed. These Lactobacillus, Gardnerella, Bacteroides, and Mobiluncus morphotypes were originally linked to particular bacterial species through cultivation studies, but no studies have systematically investigated associations between uncultivated bacteria detected by molecular methods and Gram stain findings. In this study, 16S-rRNA PCR/pyrosequencing was used to examine associations between vaginal bacteria and bacterial morphotypes in 220 women with and without BV. Species-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) and fluorescence in Situ hybridization (FISH) methods were used to document concentrations of two bacteria with curved rod morphologies: Mobiluncus and the fastidious BV-associated bacterium-1 (BVAB1). Rank abundance of vaginal bacteria in samples with evidence of curved gram-negative rods showed that BVAB1 was dominant (26.1%), while Mobiluncus was rare (0.2% of sequence reads). BVAB1 sequence reads were associated with Mobiluncus morphotypes (p<0.001). Among women with curved rods, mean concentration of BVAB1 DNA was 2 log units greater than Mobiluncus (p<0.001) using species-specific quantitative PCR. FISH analyses revealed that mean number of BVAB1 cells was 2 log units greater than Mobiluncus cells in women with highest Nugent score (p<0.001). Prevotella and Porphyromonas spp. were significantly associated with the "Bacteroides morphotype," whereas Bacteroides species were rare. Gram-negative rods designated Mobiluncus morphotypes on Gram stain are more likely BVAB1. These findings provide a clearer picture of the bacteria associated with morphotypes on vaginal Gram stain.
Topics: Bacteroides; Female; Gardnerella vaginalis; Gentian Violet; Humans; Lactobacillus; Mobiluncus; Molecular Typing; Phenazines; Phylogeny; RNA, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Vaginosis, Bacterial
PubMed: 24302980
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078633