The composition and stability of the vaginal microbiota of normal pregnant women is different from that of non-pregnant women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study was undertaken to characterize the vaginal microbiota throughout normal human pregnancy using sequence-based techniques. We compared the vaginal microbial composition of non-pregnant patients with a group of pregnant women who delivered at term.

Results

A retrospective case-control longitudinal study was designed and included non-pregnant women (n = 32) and pregnant women who delivered at term (38 to 42 weeks) without complications (n = 22). Serial samples of vaginal fluid were collected from both non-pregnant and pregnant patients. A 16S rRNA gene sequence-based survey was conducted using pyrosequencing to characterize the structure and stability of the vaginal microbiota. Linear mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations were used to id

SUBMITTER: Romero R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3916806 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature