Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies have indicated that variations in the vaginal microbiome result in symptomatic conditions. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a significant neonatal pathogen and maternal vaginal colonization has been recognized as an important risk factor for neonatal disease. Therefore, it is important to discover the relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiome and GBS colonization. This study explores the potential relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiome and GBS colonization in non-pregnant Chinese women.MethodsA total of 22 GBS-positive, non-pregnant women and 44 matched GBS-negative women were recruited for the current study. The composition of the vaginal microbiome was profiled by sequencing the 16S rRNA genes. The microbiome diversity and variation were then evaluated.ResultsThe vaginal microbiome of the 66 subjects enrolled in the current study were compared and the results showed that GBS-positive women exhibited significant vaginal microbial differences compared with the GBS-negative women based on the analysis of similarities (r = 0.306, p < 0.01). The relative abundance of the bacterial genus Lactobacillus (p < 0.01) was significantly lower in the GBS-positive group, while the abundances of the bacterial genera Prevotella (p < 0.01), Megasphaera (p < 0.01), and Streptococcus (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the GBS-positive group.DiscussionThe current study addressed significant variations across the communities of the vaginal microbiome in GBS-positive and GBS-negative women in a Chinese cohort, which paves the way for a larger cohort-based clinical validation study and the development of therapeutic probiotics in the future.
Highlights
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a Gram-positive bacteria that asymptomatically and transiently colonizes the gastrointestinal and vaginal tracts of healthy women
Over 600 samples were collected from individuals with GBS colonization and healthy individuals and vaginal samples for the current microbiome study were chosen from this specimen bank
Vaginal swab samples were collected from 66 female patients who met the inclusion criteria, which included 22 GBS-positive women and 44 GBS-negative women
Summary
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a Gram-positive bacteria that asymptomatically and transiently colonizes the gastrointestinal and vaginal tracts of healthy women. It is the leading cause of invasive bacterial disease in infants and can lead to a fatal infection in newborns (Korir, Manning & Davies, 2017). This study explores the potential relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiome and GBS colonization in non-pregnant Chinese women. The vaginal microbiome of the 66 subjects enrolled in the current study were compared and the results showed that GBS-positive women exhibited significant vaginal microbial differences compared with the GBS-negative women based on the analysis of similarities (r = 0.306, p < 0.01).
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