Comparison of the vaginal microbiota diversity of women with and without human papillomavirus infection: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundThe female genital tract is an important bacterial habitat of the human body, and vaginal microbiota plays a crucial role in vaginal health. The alteration of vaginal microbiota affects millions of women annually, and is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, including human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, previous studies have primarily focused on the association between bacterial vaginosis and HPV infection. Little is known about the composition of vaginal microbial communities involved in HPV acquisition. The present study was performed to investigate whether HPV infection was associated with the diversity and composition of vaginal microbiota.MethodsA total of 70 healthy women (32 HPV-negative and 38 HPV-positive) with normal cervical cytology were enrolled in this study. Culture-independent polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to measure the diversity and composition of vaginal microbiota of all subjects.ResultsWe found significantly greater biological diversity in the vaginal microbiota of HPV-positive women (p < 0.001). Lactobacillus, including L. gallinarum, L. iners and L. gasseri, was the predominant genus and was detected in all women. No significant difference between HPV-positive and HPV-negative women was found for the frequency of detection of L. gallinarum (p = 0.775) or L. iners (p = 0.717), but L. gasseri was found at a significantly higher frequency in HPV-positive women (p = 0.005). Gardnerella vaginalis was also found at a significantly higher frequency in HPV-positive women (p = 0.031). Dendrograms revealed that vaginal microbiota from the two groups had different profiles.ConclusionsOur study is the first systematic evaluation of an association between vaginal microbiota and HPV infection, and we have demonstrated that compared with HPV-negative women, the bacterial diversity of HPV-positive women is more complex and the composition of vaginal microbiota is different.

The vaginal and gastrointestinal microbiomes in gynecologic cancers: A review of applications in etiology, symptoms and treatment

“…Overall, the composition of the VMB was significantly associated with changes in HPV status (p b 0.001) [12]. In the second paper, the vaginal microbiota of 70 women -32 HPV-negative and 38 HPV-positive -were sequenced using PCR [13]. Results of the sequencing showed that there was significantly greater diversity in the microbiota of HPV-positive women (p b 0.001) and that L. gasseri and Gardnerella vaginalis were found in significantly higher frequencies in HPV-positive women (p = 0.005 and p = 0.031, respectively) [13].…”

“…In the second paper, the vaginal microbiota of 70 women -32 HPV-negative and 38 HPV-positive -were sequenced using PCR [13]. Results of the sequencing showed that there was significantly greater diversity in the microbiota of HPV-positive women (p b 0.001) and that L. gasseri and Gardnerella vaginalis were found in significantly higher frequencies in HPV-positive women (p = 0.005 and p = 0.031, respectively) [13]. The third paper examined the association between vaginal pH, which is determined by the microbiota composition, and HPV infection.…”

Molecular analysis and conventional cytology: association between HPV and bacterial vaginosis in the cervical abnormalities of a Brazilian population

“…Metaanalysis has shown a positive association between BV and cervical HPV infection, and the pooled prevalence of BV can be as much as 32% (Gillet et al, 2011(Gillet et al, , 2012. Therefore, the bacterial diversity in HPV-positive women is different and even more complex compared with HPV-negative women (Gao et al, 2013).…”

Self-Sampling for HPV Testing: Increased Cervical Cancer Screening Participation and Incorporation in International Screening Programs

“…may be protective, while other vaginal 466 microorganisms may increase a woman's risk of HPV infection and cervical cancer 467 (Mitra et al 2016). In a study of 70 healthy women, the vaginal microbial diversity of 468 HPV-positive women was higher than that of HPV-negative women, and G. vaginalis 469 was found at a higher frequency in HPV-positive women (Gao et al 2013). In a 470 longitudinal study of 32 women, each self-collecting twice weekly for 16 weeks, 471 microbiota dominated by certain Lactobacillus spp.…”

“…levels, and 463 increased presence of specific microbes such as Sneathia spp. or Gardnerella vaginalis 464 (Gao et al 2013;Lee et al 2013;Brotman et al 2014;Reimers et al 2016;Shannon et 465 al. 2017).…”