Cervicovaginal microbiome dynamics after taking oral probiotics

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The vaginal microbiota is less complex than the gut microbiota, and the colonization of Lactobacillus in the female vagina is considered to be critical for reproductive health. Oral probiotics have been suggested as promising means to modulate vaginal homeostasis in the general population. In this study, 60 Chinese women were followed for over a year before, during, and after treatment with the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. Shotgun metagenomic data of 1334 samples from multiple body sites did not support a colonization route of the probiotics from the oral cavity to the intestinal tract and then to the vagina. Our analyses enable the classification of the cervicovaginal microbiome into a stable state and a state of dysbiosis. The microbiome in the stable group steadily maintained a relatively high abundance of Lactobacilli over 1 year, which was not affected by probiotic intake, whereas in the dysbiosis group, the microbiota was more diverse and changed markedly over time. Data from a subset of the dysbiosis group suggests this subgroup possibly benefited from supplementation with the probiotics, indicating that probiotics supplementation can be prescribed for women in a subclinical microbiome setting of dysbiosis, providing opportunities for targeted and personalized microbiome reconstitution.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Genetics and Genomics
Volume48
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)716-726
Number of pages11
ISSN1673-8527
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Genetics Society of China

    Research areas

  • Cervicovaginal microbiome, Oral probiotics, Shotgun metagenomic data

ID: 279133771