The association between the pre-pregnancy vaginal microbiome and time-to-pregnancy: a Chinese pregnancy-planning cohort study.
Cohort study
Fecundability
Lactobacillus
Time-to-pregnancy
Vaginal microbiome
Journal
BMC medicine
ISSN: 1741-7015
Titre abrégé: BMC Med
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101190723
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 08 2022
01 08 2022
Historique:
received:
25
03
2022
accepted:
13
06
2022
entrez:
31
7
2022
pubmed:
1
8
2022
medline:
3
8
2022
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Although sexually transmitted infections are regarded as the main cause of tubal infertility, the association between the common vaginal microbiome and female fecundability has yet to be determined. The objective of this study was to find convincing evidence relating to the impact of the vaginal bacterial structure on the fecundability of women planning pregnancy. We recruited women who took part in the Free Pre-pregnancy Health Examination Project from 13 June 2018 to 31 October 2018 (n = 89, phase I) and from 1 November 2018 to 30 May 2020 (n = 389, phase II). We collected pre-pregnancy vaginal swabs from each subject; then, we followed up each subject to acquire the pregnancy-planning outcome in 1 year. In phase I, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to investigate the vaginal bacterial content between the pregnancy and non-pregnancy groups. These findings were verified in phase II by applying a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for the measurement of the absolute abundance of specific species. Cox models were used to estimate fecundability ratios (FR) for each vaginal microbiome type. In phase I, 59.6% (53/89) of women became pregnant within 1 year. The principal coordinate analysis showed that the pre-pregnancy vaginal microbial community structures of the pregnant and non-pregnant groups were significantly different (PERMANOVA test, R This cohort study demonstrated an association between the pre-pregnancy vaginal microbiome and female fecundability. A vaginal microbiome characterized by a higher abundance of L. iners and lower abundances of L. crispatus and L. gasseri appeared to be associated with a lower fecundability. Further research now needs to confirm whether manipulation of the vaginal microenvironment might improve human fecundability.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Although sexually transmitted infections are regarded as the main cause of tubal infertility, the association between the common vaginal microbiome and female fecundability has yet to be determined. The objective of this study was to find convincing evidence relating to the impact of the vaginal bacterial structure on the fecundability of women planning pregnancy.
METHODS
We recruited women who took part in the Free Pre-pregnancy Health Examination Project from 13 June 2018 to 31 October 2018 (n = 89, phase I) and from 1 November 2018 to 30 May 2020 (n = 389, phase II). We collected pre-pregnancy vaginal swabs from each subject; then, we followed up each subject to acquire the pregnancy-planning outcome in 1 year. In phase I, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to investigate the vaginal bacterial content between the pregnancy and non-pregnancy groups. These findings were verified in phase II by applying a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for the measurement of the absolute abundance of specific species. Cox models were used to estimate fecundability ratios (FR) for each vaginal microbiome type.
RESULTS
In phase I, 59.6% (53/89) of women became pregnant within 1 year. The principal coordinate analysis showed that the pre-pregnancy vaginal microbial community structures of the pregnant and non-pregnant groups were significantly different (PERMANOVA test, R
CONCLUSIONS
This cohort study demonstrated an association between the pre-pregnancy vaginal microbiome and female fecundability. A vaginal microbiome characterized by a higher abundance of L. iners and lower abundances of L. crispatus and L. gasseri appeared to be associated with a lower fecundability. Further research now needs to confirm whether manipulation of the vaginal microenvironment might improve human fecundability.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35909180
doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02437-7
pii: 10.1186/s12916-022-02437-7
pmc: PMC9341075
doi:
Substances chimiques
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
0
Banques de données
figshare
['10.6084/m6089.figshare.20045855.v20045851']
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
246Informations de copyright
© 2022. The Author(s).
Références
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Apr;220(4):324-335
pubmed: 30447213
Hum Reprod. 2021 Apr 20;36(5):1279-1287
pubmed: 33594429
BMC Microbiol. 2007 Dec 19;7:115
pubmed: 18093311
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Aug 13;9:705690
pubmed: 34485291
Hum Reprod. 2005 Sep;20(9):2402-8
pubmed: 15932911
BJOG. 2022 Jan;129(1):43-51
pubmed: 34258836
J Bacteriol. 2011 Mar;193(5):1034-41
pubmed: 21169489
FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2002 Dec 13;34(4):277-81
pubmed: 12443827
Genome Biol. 2011 Jun 24;12(6):R60
pubmed: 21702898
BJOG. 2020 Jan;127(2):139-146
pubmed: 31597208
J Reprod Med. 2001 Sep;46(9):806-10
pubmed: 11584481
J Cell Physiol. 2017 Jul;232(7):1681-1688
pubmed: 28098358
Int J Stat Med Res. 2015;4(3):287-295
pubmed: 27429686
Hum Reprod. 2019 Jun 4;34(6):1042-1054
pubmed: 31119299
J Infect Dis. 2021 Dec 1;224(11):1945-1949
pubmed: 33367735
Trends Microbiol. 2017 Mar;25(3):182-191
pubmed: 27914761
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2009 Jul 28;9:57
pubmed: 19638200
Res Microbiol. 2017 Nov - Dec;168(9-10):837-844
pubmed: 28341009
Front Microbiol. 2017 Jun 23;8:1162
pubmed: 28690602
Bioinformatics. 2015 Aug 1;31(15):2461-8
pubmed: 25819674
Hum Reprod Update. 2015 Jul-Aug;21(4):411-26
pubmed: 25801630
PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e28180
pubmed: 22140538
Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2019 Jul;300(1):1-6
pubmed: 30953190
ISME J. 2007 Jun;1(2):121-33
pubmed: 18043622
Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2020 Sep;302(3):569-578
pubmed: 32638096
Res Microbiol. 2017 Nov - Dec;168(9-10):782-792
pubmed: 28435139
BMC Microbiol. 2009 Jun 02;9:116
pubmed: 19490622
Med Sci Monit. 2018 Aug 01;24:5338-5345
pubmed: 30065240
BJOG. 2019 Jan;126(2):200-207
pubmed: 29469992
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Apr 23;12:662725
pubmed: 33967963
Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1849:113-129
pubmed: 30298251
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Mar;224(3):251-257
pubmed: 33091407
Aging (Albany NY). 2019 Dec 2;11(23):10952-10991
pubmed: 31790362
Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2018 Nov;53:20-29
pubmed: 30518485
Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Jul 1;47(1):33-43
pubmed: 18513147
J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Jul;42(7):3128-36
pubmed: 15243071
Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2018 Jun;58(3):341-348
pubmed: 29280134