Diversity of Lactobacillus in vagina of vulvovaginal candidiasis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the Lactobacillus species in the vaginas of vulvovaginal candidiasis and to assess the prevalence of each Lactobacillus species in vulvovaginal candidiasis. Methods 154 vaginal samples were analyzed, 92 of which were from fertile healthy women, and 62 of which were from women with vulvovaginal candidiasis; and species-specific PCR showed the prevalence of each Lactobacillus species Species-specific PCR was used to investigate the prevalence of each Lactobacillus species in healthy Chinese women and the women with vulvovaginal candidiasis. Results In women with vulvovaginal candidiasis: L. iners(6.5%), L. cripatus(79.0%), L. gasseri(37.1%), L. jensenii(74.2%), L. acidophilus(16.1%), L. brevis(19.4%), L. plantarum(1.6%), L. johnsonii(51.6%), L. fermentum(8.1%), L. salivarius(9.7%), L. reuter(1.6%), L. paracasei(8.1%), L. delbrueckii(3.2%); More than two different Lactobacillus species coexisted in 98% of women with vulvovaginal candidiasis, and no anyone species existed in 2% of them; In fertile women: L. iners(82.6%), L. cripatus(70.7%), L. gasseri(67.4%), L. jensenii(40.2%), L. acidophilus(39.1%), L. brevis(23.9%), L. plantarum(5.4%), L. rhamnosus(1.1%), L. paracasei(1.1%), L. reuter(1.1%)i, L. johnsonii(3.3%), L. fermentum(2.2%), L. salivarius(2.2%); More than two different Lactobacillus species coexisted in 97% of fertile women, and only one species existed in 3% of fertile women. Conclusions Species of lactobacillus in women with vulvovaginal candidiasis did not significantly reduced compared with healthy women. Lactobacillus inert may be a marker of the change of vaginal microenvironment; Lactobacillus crispatus is a dominant lactobacillus in the vaginal of fertile healthy women, pregnant women and women with vulvovaginal candidiasis. Key words: Vaginal Lactobacillus species; 16S rRNA gene