Characterization of the vaginal microbiome of Brazilian women of reproductive age

• Grant number: 12/10403-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2012
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Márcia Guimarães da Silva
• Grantee: Camila Marconi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/22463-5 - Deep proteomic analysis of cervicovaginal fluid in bacterial vaginosis: association with bacterial composition and response to metronidazole treatment, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Studies on the vaginal microbiome have started only recently, following the researches for characterizing the human microbiome. Describing the real composition of microbial community in the vagina using microbiome studies is crucial for women's health, since abnormal vaginal microbiota is associated with increased risk for acquisition of sexually transmitted infections, infertility and poor gestational outcomes. Previous studies showed that hot's immune response is strongly associated to altered vaginal flora and its complications although the mechanisms involved in this association are still poorly understood. Considering that the treatment of the most frequent type of abnormal vaginal flora, bacterial vaginosis (BV), is associated with high rates of therapeutic failure it has been suggested that individual differences in the immune response to BV may be related with its treatment outcomes. The largest study on vaginal microbiome demonstrated that the vaginal microbiota can be classified into 5 communities according to the abundance of the bacterial species. The BV cases are placed in the bacterial community with the lowest abundance of lactobacilli and such community and can be further divided into 3 sub-communities. Thus, it can be suggested that in addition to host's immune response, differences in the bacterial composition of BV may influence its treatment outcome. Considering that no other study has been performed aiming to determine the vaginal microbiome of Brazilian women and that BV present high rates of therapeutic failure, the aims of this study are: to characterize the vaginal microbiome of Brazilian women in reproductive age from the five regions of the country and to evaluate if the sub-communities of BV, total bacterial count and the proteomic profile are associated with the persistence of BV after conventional treatment. The microbiome of at least 500 women will be determined with pyrosequencing. Vaginal flora will be classified in normal, intermediate and BV, according to Nugent et al. (1991) criteria and the BV cases observed will be evaluated for the presence of the bacterial sub-communities. In addition, BV cases will be assessed before and after treatment for the bacterial count using flux cytometry and proteomic profiles using mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF-TOF. Thus, these results will allow the first-time description of the vaginal microbiome in Brazilian women and the association between BV treatment and bacterial and proteomic profiles, which may contribute to future strategies for improving women's reproductive health.

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERREIRA, CAROLINA SANITA TAFNER; MARCONI, CAMILA; PARADA, CRISTINA M. G. L.; RAVEL, JACQUES; SILVA, MARCIA GUIMARAES DA. ialidase Activity in the Cervicovaginal Fluid Is Associated With Changes in Bacterial Components of Lactobacillus-Deprived Microbiot. FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY, v. 11, JAN 13 2022. (12/10403-2, 12/16800-3)

PESSOA MORALES, JULIA ANDRADE; MARCONI, CAMILA; EL-ZEIN, MARIAM; RAVEL, JACQUES; DA SILVA PINTO, GABRIEL VICTOR; SILVEIRA, ROSANA; DE LIMA, MOISES DIOGO; DE CARVALHO, NEWTON SERGIO; FIGUEIREDO ALVES, ROSANE RIBEIRO; GARCIA DE LIMA PARADA, CRISTINA MARIA; et al. Vaginal Microbiome Components as Correlates of Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection. Journal of Infectious Diseases, v. 226, n. 6, p. 14-pg., 2022-01-06. (12/01278-0, 12/10403-2, 18/18469-9, 12/16800-3)

LUCHIARI, HELOISE R.; FERREIRA, CAROLINA S. T.; GOLIM, MARJORIE A.; SILVA, MARCIA G.; MARCONI, CAMILA. Cervicovaginal bacterial count and failure of metronidazole therapy for bacterial vaginosis. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, v. 132, n. 3, p. 297-301, MAR 2016. (12/16800-3, 12/10403-2, 13/01750-3)

DURSKI, MARIANA; RAVEL, JACQUES; SPAUTZ, ANA C. P. G.; CARVALHO, NEWTON S.; SILVA, MARCIA G.; MARCONI, CAMILA. Comparison of two microscopic interpretations of vaginal microbiota with molecular profiling. DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE, v. 104, n. 1, p. 5-pg., 2022-06-30. (12/10403-2, 12/16800-3, 14/22463-5)

MARCONI, CAMILA; EL-ZEIN, MARIAM; RAVEL, JACQUES; MA, BING; LIMA, MOISES D.; CARVALHO, NEWTON SERGIO; ALVES, ROSANE R. F.; PARADA, CRISTINA M. G. L.; LEITE, SANDRA H. M.; GIRALDO, PAULO C.; et al. Characterization of the Vaginal Microbiome in Women of Reproductive Age From 5 Regions in Brazil. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, v. 47, n. 8, p. 562-569, AUG 2020. (12/10403-2, 14/22463-5, 12/16800-3)

BELLETI, RAFAEL; MARCOLINO, LARISSA DODDI; NOVAK, JULIANO; TAFNER FERREIRA, CAROLINA SANITA; BOLPETTI, ALINE DO NASCIMENTO; DA SILVA PINTO, GABRIEL VITOR; DE OLIVEIRA, ANA PALMEIRA; DA SILVA, MARCIA GUIMARAES; MARCONI, CAMILA. Cervicovaginal loads of Gardnerella spp. are increased in immunocompetent women with persistent high-risk human papillomavirus infection. Journal of Medical Microbiology, v. 71, n. 5, p. 8-pg., 2022-01-01. (12/10403-2, 12/01278-0)

TAFNER FERREIRA, CAROLINA SANITA; DONDERS, GILBERT GERARD; MARCIA DE LIMA PARADA, CRISTINA MARIA; TRISTAO, ANDREA DA ROCHA; FERNANDES, THAIZ; DA SILVA, MARCIA GUIMARAES; MARCONI, CAMILA. Treatment failure of bacterial vaginosis is not associated with higher loads of Atopobium vaginae and Gardnerella vaginalis. Journal of Medical Microbiology, v. 66, n. 8, p. 1217-1224, AUG 2017. (12/16800-3, 12/10403-2)

MARCONI, CAMILA; DUARTE, MARLI T. C.; SILVA, DANIELA C.; SILVA, MARCIA G.. Prevalence of and risk factors for bacterial vaginosis among women of reproductive age attending cervical screening in southeastern Brazil. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, v. 131, n. 2, p. 137-141, NOV 2015. (12/01278-0, 12/10403-2)