Dataset Information

Vaginal Glycogen, Not Estradiol, Is Associated With Vaginal Bacterial Community Composition in Black Adolescent Women.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to characterize the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in a cohort of black adolescent women and to determine how the species composition of these communities correlates with levels of estradiol, glycogen, and stress. METHODS:Twenty-one black adolescent women were sampled longitudinally. The composition of their vaginal communities was determined by analyzing the sequences of the V1-V3 regions of 16S rRNA genes, and they were grouped based on patterns in species abundances. The relationships between estradiol, glycogen, psychosocial stress, and the composition of these communities were assessed. RESULTS:Vaginal communities could be distinguished and classified into three groups that differed in the abundances of Lactobacillus. Eighty-one percent of study participants had communities dominated by species of Lactobacillus. Glycogen levels were higher in communities dominated by one or multiple species of Lactobacillus compared with those having low proportions of Lactobacillus. Estradiol and psychosocial stress measurements did not differ among the three groups, whereas estradiol and glycogen exhibited a weak positive relationship that was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS:The findings of this pilot study suggest that glycogen levels are associated with vaginal community composition in young black women; however, estradiol and psychosocial stress are not. In addition, the results suggest there is no simple relationship between levels of estradiol and the production of vaginal glycogen.

SUBMITTER: Nunn KL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6589382 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Vaginal Glycogen, Not Estradiol, Is Associated With Vaginal Bacterial Community Composition in Black Adolescent Women.

Nunn Kenetta L KL Ridenhour Benjamin J BJ Chester Emily M EM Vitzthum Virginia J VJ Fortenberry J Dennis JD Forney Larry J LJ

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 20190314 1

<h4>Purpose</h4>The purpose of this study was to characterize the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in a cohort of black adolescent women and to determine how the species composition of these communities correlates with levels of estradiol, glycogen, and stress.<h4>Methods</h4>Twenty-one black adolescent women were sampled longitudinally. The composition of their vaginal communities was determined by analyzing the sequences of the V1-V3 regions of 16S rRNA genes, and they were grouped ...[more]

PMID: 30879880

Similar Datasets

Project description:The knowledge surrounding the bovine vaginal microbiota and its implications on fertility and reproductive traits remains incomplete. The objective of the current study was to characterize the bovine vaginal bacterial community and estradiol concentrations at the time of artificial insemination (AI). Brangus heifers (n = 78) underwent a 7-d Co-Synch + controlled internal drug release estrus synchronization protocol. At AI, a double-guarded uterine culture swab was used to sample the anterior vaginal tract. Immediately after swabbing the vaginal tract, blood samples were collected by coccygeal venipuncture to determine concentrations of estradiol. Heifers were retrospectively classified as pregnant (n = 29) vs. nonpregnant (n = 49) between 41 and 57 d post-AI. Additionally, heifers were classified into low (1.1 to 2.5 pg/mL; n = 21), medium (2.6 to 6.7 pg/mL; n = 30), and high (7.2 to 17.6 pg/mL; n = 27) concentration of estradiol. The vaginal bacterial community composition was determined through sequencing of the V4 region from the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina Miseq platform. Alpha diversity was compared via ANOVA and beta diversity was compared via PERMANOVA. There were no differences in the Shannon diversity index (alpha diversity; P = 0.336) or Bray-Curtis dissimilarity (beta diversity; P = 0.744) of pregnant vs. nonpregnant heifers. Overall, bacterial community composition in heifers with high, medium, or low concentrations of estradiol did not differ (P = 0.512). While no overall compositional differences were observed, species-level differences were present within pregnancy status and estradiol concentration groups. The implications of these species-level differences are unknown, but these differences could alter the vaginal environment thereby influencing fertility and vaginal health. Therefore, species-level changes could provide better insight rather than overall microbial composition in relation to an animal's reproductive health.

Project description:Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects 20% of women worldwide and is associated with adverse reproductive health outcomes and increased risk for HIV. Typically, BV represents a shift in the vaginal microbiome from one that is dominated by Lactobacillus to one that is diverse. Persistent racial differences in BV and diverse vaginal microbiome composition overlap with racial disparities in risks for HIV and sexually transmitted infection, especially among women of African descent. Risk factors for BV and nonoptimal vaginal microbiome include sexual practices, yet racial differences persist when adjusted for behavioral factors, suggesting a host genetic component. Here, we perform a genome-wide association study on vaginal microbiome traits in Kenyan women. Linear regression and logistic regression were performed, adjusting for age and principal components of genetic ancestry, to evaluate the association between Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, Gardnerella vaginalis, Shannon diversity index, and community state type (CST) with host genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We identified novel genomic loci associated with the vaginal microbiome traits, though no SNP reached genome-wide significance. During pathway enrichment analysis, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), cytokine production, and other components of innate immune response were associated with L. crispatus, L. iners, and CST. Multiple previously reported genomic loci were replicated, including IL-8 (Shannon, CST), TIRAP (L. iners, Shannon), TLR2 (Shannon, CST), MBL2 (L. iners, G. vaginalis, CST), and MYD88 (L. iners, Shannon). These genetic associations suggest a role for the innate immune system and cell signaling in vaginal microbiome composition and susceptibility to nonoptimal vaginal microbiome.IMPORTANCE Globally, bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common condition in women. BV is associated with poorer reproductive health outcomes and HIV risk. Typically, BV represents a shift in the vaginal microbiome from one that is dominated by Lactobacillus to one that is diverse. Despite many women having similar exposures, the prevalence of BV and nonoptimal vaginal microbiome is increased for women of African descent, suggesting a possible role for host genetics. We conducted a genome-wide association study of important vaginal microbiome traits in Kenyan women. We identified novel genetic loci and biological pathways related to mucosal immunity, cell signaling, and infection that were associated with vaginal microbiome traits; we replicated previously reported loci associated with mucosal immune response. These results provide insight into potential host genetic influences on vaginal microbiome composition and can guide larger longitudinal studies, with genetic and functional comparison across microbiome sites within individuals and across populations.

Project description:ObjectivesTo compare the effect of oral estradiol (E2) plus vaginal progesterone (P4) against placebo on endometrial thickness, endometrial biopsy pathology, cervical cytology and total cancer incidence among healthy postmenopausal women.Study designThis study is a sub-analysis of the Early versus Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol (ELITE), a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that previously demonstrated that hormone therapy (HT) was associated with less progression of subclinical atherosclerosis than placebo when therapy was initiated within 6 years after menopause but not when it was initiated 10 or more years after menopause. This sub-analysis included only ELITE participants with an intact uterus, who were randomized to either daily oral micronized 17-beta-E2 1 mg/day with 4% vaginal micronized P4 gel 45 mg/day for 10 days each month or placebo.Main outcome measuresParticipants were evaluated at baseline and annually during a median follow-up of 4.8 years for endometrial thickness as determined by pelvic transvaginal ultrasound followed by an endometrial biopsy when indicated, and cervical cytology and cancer incidence.ResultsOver up to 80 months of follow-up, participants randomized to oral E2 plus vaginal P4 had progressive and statistically significant increases in endometrial thickness (p<0.001), underwent more endometrial biopsies and had a higher rate of endometrial hyperplasia on endometrial biopsy compared with the placebo group. Due to the close follow-up of participants in the trial protocol, these abnormal findings were effectively treated.ConclusionOur results suggest that 10 days of vaginal P4 45 mg/day is insufficient to completely oppose the effect of oral E2 1 mg/day on the endometrium. Further studies are needed to test alternative doses or frequencies of administration of vaginal P4 for adequate endometrial protection from E2 therapy among postmenopausal women. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT00114517.

Dataset Information

Vaginal Glycogen, Not Estradiol, Is Associated With Vaginal Bacterial Community Composition in Black Adolescent Women.

Publications

Vaginal Glycogen, Not Estradiol, Is Associated With Vaginal Bacterial Community Composition in Black Adolescent Women.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets