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. 2022 Apr 1;225(7):1261-1265.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa233.

Vaginal and Extra-Vaginal Bacterial Colonization and Risk for Incident Bacterial Vaginosis in a Population of Women Who Have Sex With Men

David N Fredricks  1   2 , Anna Plantinga  3 , Sujatha Srinivasan  1 , Antoinette Oot  1 , Andrew Wiser  1 , Tina L Fiedler  1 , Sean Proll  1 , Michael C Wu  1 , Jeanne M Marrazzo  4
Affiliations

Vaginal and Extra-Vaginal Bacterial Colonization and Risk for Incident Bacterial Vaginosis in a Population of Women Who Have Sex With Men

David N Fredricks et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common cause of vaginal discharge and associated with vaginal acquisition of BV-associated bacteria (BVAB).

Methods: We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays to determine whether presence or concentrations of BVAB in the mouth, anus, vagina, or labia before BV predict risk of incident BV in 72 women who have sex with men.

Results: Baseline vaginal and extra-vaginal colonization with Gardnerella spp, Megasphaera spp, Sneathia spp, BVAB-2, Dialister sp type 2, and other BVAB was more common among subjects with incident BV.

Conclusions: Prior colonization with BVAB is a consistent risk for BV.

Keywords: anal; bacterial vaginosis; microbiota; oral; sexual behaviors.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Prevalence of key vaginal bacteria at body sites (oral, anal, labial, vaginal) in cases and controls at visit 1 (which is before onset of bacterial vaginosis in cases). Gardnerella species and Dialister micraerophilus are commonly found on the labia and in the anus of cases and controls. Sneathia spp and Megasphaera spp are more commonly detected in labial and anal swabs from cases compared with controls. P values are based on age- and race-adjusted quasi-Poisson regression analysis.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Violin pots depict bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid concentrations from swabs collected from 3 body sites expressed as 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) gene copies per swab in cases of incident bacterial vaginosis (BV) and controls. Each dot represents the concentration in a single participant. Threshold concentrations (arrowhead) and median copies (bar) are indicated in each plot. Oral (A) and anal (B) concentrations of Gardnerella spp were higher in cases compared with controls before onset of BV. Anal concentrations of Megasphaera spp (C) and Sneathia spp (D) were also higher in cases compared with controls. P values are based on Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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