BackgroundBacterial infections are usually suspected in infertile couples seeking IVF with no clear understanding of the microbial compositions present in the seminal fluids and vaginal niche of the patients. We used next-generation sequencing technology to correlate microbiota compositions with IVF clinical outcomes.MethodsThirty-six couples were recruited to provide seminal fluids and vaginal swabs. Bacterial DNA was extracted, and V4 region of the 16S rRNA was amplified and sequenced in a pair-end configuration on the Illumina MiSeq platform rendering 2 × 150 bp sequences. Microbial taxonomy to species level was generated using the Greengenes database. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) was used to identify biologically and statistically significant differences in relative abundance.ResultsSeminal fluid microbiota compositions had lower bacterial concentrations compared with the vagina, but species diversity was significantly higher in seminal fluid samples. Azoospermic subjects had more relative abundance of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. In Normospermic semen, Lactobacillus (43.86%) was the most abundant, followed by Gardnerella (25.45%), while the corresponding vaginal samples, Lactobacillus (61.74%) was the most abundant, followed by Prevotella (6.07%) and Gardnerella (5.86%).ConclusionsSemen samples with positive IVF were significantly colonized by Lactobacillus jensenii (P=0.002), Faecalibacterium (P=0.042) and significantly less colonized by Proteobacteria, Prevotella, Bacteroides, and lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared with semen samples with negative IVF. Vaginal samples with positive IVF clinical outcome were significantly colonized by Lactobacillus gasseri, less colonized by Bacteroides and Lactobacillus iners. This study has opened a window of possibility for Lactobacillus replenishments in men and women before IVF treatment.

Bacterial infections are usually suspected in infertile couples seeking IVF with no clear understanding of the microbial compositions present in the seminal fluids and vaginal swabs of the patients. We used next-generation sequencing technology to correlate microbiota compositions with IVF clinical outcomes. Thirty-six couples were recruited to provide seminal fluids and vaginal swabs. Seminal fluid microbiota compositions had lower bacterial concentrations compared with the vagina, but species diversity was significantly higher in seminal fluid samples. Azoospermic subjects had more relative abundance of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. In Normospermic semen Lactobacillus (43.86%) was the most abundant, followed by Gardnerella (25.45%), while the corresponding vaginal samples, Lactobacillus (61.74%) was the most abundant, followed by Prevotella (6.07%), and Gardnerella (5.86%). Semen samples with positive IVF were significantly colonized by Lactobacillus jensenii (P=0.002), Faecalibacterium (P=0.042) and significantly less colonized by Proteobacteria, Prevotella, Bacteroides and lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared with semen samples with negative IVF. Vaginal samples with positive IVF clinical outcome were significantly colonized by Lactobacillus gasseri, less colonized by Bacteroides, and Lactobacillus iners. This study has opened a window of possibility for Lactobacillus replenishments in men and women prior to IVF treatment.

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Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnant women remains a cause for clinical concern among clinicians and health care professionals. BV  has been linked to prenatal, antenatal and postnatal challenges in pregnant women. Information on prevalence of BV across trimesters of  pregnancy is expected to give better clinical insight into the pathophysiology of this polymicrobial disorder. This study was conducted to determine  the prevalence of BV in pregnant women attending the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of 120 pregnant women (40 in each trimester of pregnancy) who had symptoms suggestive of BV,  selected by systematic random sampling from among the women attending the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O & G) clinic of NAUTH, Nnewi. Each  subject participant was examined by the attending clinician, and high vaginal swab (HVS) sample was collected for diagnostic analysis of BV using  with complete Amsel’s clinical criteria, which consists of three of the four criteria; (i) adherent and homogenous vaginal discharge, (ii) vaginal pH >  4.5, (iii) detection of clue cells on saline wet mount, and (iv) amine odor after the addition of potassium hydroxide (positive Whiff test). Results: The mean age of the 120 selected participants was 27.25±6.09 years. The age groups 25-29 (36.7%) and 20-24 years (33.3%) constituted the  largest proportion, while age groups <20 (5.0%) and 40-45 years (5.0%) constituted the least. Of the 120 participants, 26 (21.7%) were positive for BV  by the Amsel’s criteria. Pregnant women in age group <20 years had the highest prevalence of BV (100%, 6/6), followed by those in the age groups  20-24 (27.5%), 40-45 (16.7%), 25-29 (15.9%), 30-34 (9.1%) and 35-39 years (0%) (X2=28.063, p=0.0001). Prevalence of BV was significantly higher in  single (unmarried) pregnant women (45.5%, X2=4.038, p=0.045), women with primary school education level (66.7%, X2=14.530, p=0.001),  unemployed women (36.1%, X2=13.278, p=0.0013), and nulliparous women [36.4%, X2 (for trend) = 4.805, p=0.0274), while there was no significant  difference in the prevalence of BV with relation to trimester of pregnancy (X2=2.750, p=0.253). Conclusion: This study reveals a relatively high prevalence of BV and significant association with factors such as age group, education and  occupational status among pregnant women attending NAUTH Nnewi. Regular screening of women for BV prenatally may enable appropriate  interventions to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The association between vaginal Lactobacillus spp and regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been reviewed. This study was done to evaluate the relationship between the presence of Lactobacillus spp isolated in the vagina of women of reproductive age resident in Nnewi and vaginal tissue pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-ᵞ) levels. A total of 220 women of reproductive age (pregnant and non-pregnant women) aged between 18-45 years who attended Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi and had been classified according to their clinical Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)- status, were enrolled for the study. Two vaginal swabs samples were obtained from each woman. The first swab was used for cultivation and isolation of Lactobacillus spp, while the second swab used for evaluation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-ᵞ). Within the study population, women who were noted to be non-pregnant and clinically BV-positive had significantly higher mean levels of Pro-inflammatory cytokines (PC); TNF-α (57.90±27.26 pg/ml) and IFN-ᵞ (168.98±100 pg/ml) compared non-pregnant women who were BV-negative with TNF-α (13.48±4.67 pg/ml) and IFN-ᵞ (29.56 pg/ml). Comparison between both groups showed statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Generally, pregnant women had lower mean levels of PC; TNF-α (24.68±21.69 pg/ml) and IFN-ᵞ (82.35±35.74 pg/ml) compared to non-pregnant women with TNF-α (36.79±29.90) and IFN-ᵞ (102.71±100.86) regardless of their BV-status (p > 0.05). Non-pregnant participants in which Lactobacillus iners were isolated had the highest up-regulation of PC; TNF-α (55.80 pg/ml) and IFN-ᵞ (149.9 pg/ml) compared with other women in the same group who had Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus acidophilus isolated from their vaginal samples. In pregnant women, subjects with Lactobacillus plantarum isolated had the highest up-regulation of PC; TNF-α (75.63 pg/ml) and IFN-ᵞ (163.63 pg/ml) compared to women who had other Lactobacillus spp isolated from their vaginal swabs. It is inferred by this study the presence of L.iners has a remarkable association with the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines which promote pathological process in the vaginal disease states. The potential for the deployment of L.iners as a promising potential algorithm and biomarker in the detection of vaginosis and vaginitis is noted in this study