Dataset Information

Defining Vaginal Community Dynamics: daily microbiome transitions, the role of menstruation, bacteriophages, and bacterial genes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The composition of the vaginal microbiota during the menstrual cycle is dynamic, with some women remaining eu- or dysbiotic and others transitioning between these states. What defines these dynamics, and whether these differences are microbiome-intrinsic or mostly driven by the host is unknown. To address this, we characterized 49 healthy, young women by metagenomic sequencing of daily vaginal swabs during a menstrual cycle. We classified the dynamics of the vaginal microbiome and assessed the impact of host behavior as well as microbiome differences at the species, strain, gene, and phage levels.

Results

Based on the daily shifts in community state types (CSTs) during a menstrual cycle, the vaginal microbiome was classified into four Vaginal Community Dynamics (VCDs) and reported in a classification tool, named VALODY: constant eubiotic, constant dysbiotic, menses-related, and unstable dysbiotic. The abundance of bacteria, phages, and bacterial gene content was compared between the four VCDs. Women with different VCDs showed significant differences in relative phage abundance and bacterial composition even when assigned to the same CST. Women with unstable VCDs had higher phage counts and were more likely dominated by L. iners. Their Gardnerella spp. strains were also more likely to harbor bacteriocin-coding genes.

Conclusions

The VCDs present a novel time series classification that highlights the complexity of varying degrees of vaginal dysbiosis. Knowing the differences in phage gene abundances and the genomic strains present allows a deeper understanding of the initiation and maintenance of permanent dysbiosis. Applying the VCDs to further characterize the different types of microbiome dynamics qualifies the investigation of disease and enables comparisons at individual and population levels. Based on our data, to be able to classify a dysbiotic sample into the accurate VCD, clinicians would need two to three mid-cycle samples and two samples during menses. In the future, it will be important to address whether transient VCDs pose a similar risk profile to persistent dysbiosis with similar clinical outcomes. This framework may aid interdisciplinary translational teams in deciphering the role of the vaginal microbiome in women's health and reproduction. Video Abstract.

SUBMITTER: Hugerth LW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11331738 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Defining Vaginal Community Dynamics: daily microbiome transitions, the role of menstruation, bacteriophages, and bacterial genes.

Hugerth Luisa W LW Krog Maria Christine MC Vomstein Kilian K Du Juan J Bashir Zahra Z Kaldhusdal Vilde V Fransson Emma E Engstrand Lars L Nielsen Henriette Svarre HS Schuppe-Koistinen Ina I

Microbiome 20240819 1

<h4>Background</h4>The composition of the vaginal microbiota during the menstrual cycle is dynamic, with some women remaining eu- or dysbiotic and others transitioning between these states. What defines these dynamics, and whether these differences are microbiome-intrinsic or mostly driven by the host is unknown. To address this, we characterized 49 healthy, young women by metagenomic sequencing of daily vaginal swabs during a menstrual cycle. We classified the dynamics of the vaginal microbiome ...[more]

PMID: 39160615

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Project description:A healthy state of the vaginal microbiome can prevent vaginal disease and promote successful fertilization and healthy pregnancies. Little is known about the stability of the vaginal microbiome and the influence of factors such as diet and probiotics. While less explored, yeast probiotics have an interesting potential because of their immunomodulatory and pathogen inhibition capacities. In this study, we investigated the impact of the oral yeast probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 on the vaginal microbiomes of 52 healthy women using 16S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The vaginal fungal loads remained low, even after oral yeast supplementation, complicating the analysis of the vaginal mycobiome. Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners were the most dominant species in our study population and were found to codominate in 23% of the baseline samples. Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Prevotella were also frequently found. The microbiome profiles were dynamic: 69% of women showed a shift in the dominant community members at least once during the 42-day sampling period. In addition, lower Lactobacillus abundances were observed at the time points after menstruation. Higher relative abundances of Lactobacillus with more L. iners-dominated samples and a trend toward lower relative abundances of Prevotella were observed in the probiotic group, but analyses of the effects of the yeast probiotic were complicated by differences already present at the onset of the study. Thus, our findings especially highlighted that the impact of menstruation and the stratification of women based on the dominant vaginal taxa before randomization and inclusion is important for future research: while the impact of the yeast probiotic on vaginal microbiome in healthy women was limited. IMPORTANCE How to define and promote a healthy state of the vaginal microbiome is not well understood. Knowledge of which underlying factors shape the microbial community composition of the vagina and how to modulate them will contribute to vaginal disease prevention and improve fertility. Here, we found that taking the menstrual cycle into account when designing a microbiome study is highly recommended: menstruation also showed to be poses an interesting time point for intervention because of the drop in the abundance of L. crispatus. Furthermore, the early stratification of groups (e.g., placebo versus treatment) according to the dominant taxa can be of high added value since menstruation impacts vaginal taxa differently, i.e., L. iners remains stable, in contrast to L. crispatus.

Dataset Information

Defining Vaginal Community Dynamics: daily microbiome transitions, the role of menstruation, bacteriophages, and bacterial genes.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Defining Vaginal Community Dynamics: daily microbiome transitions, the role of menstruation, bacteriophages, and bacterial genes.

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