Characteristics of the vaginal microbiomes in prepubertal girls with and without vulvovaginitis

Abstract

The present study focused on the characteristics of the vaginal microbiomes in prepubertal girls with and without vulvovaginitis. We collected 24 vaginal samples and 16 fecal samples from 10 girls aged 3–9 years with vulvovaginitis and 16 healthy girls of the same age. The samples were divided into three groups: fecal swabs from healthy controls (HF), vaginal swabs from healthy controls (HVS), and vaginal swabs from girls with vulvovaginitis (VVS). Sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene was performed with the NovaSeq PE250 platform to reveal the vaginal microbial community structure in healthy prepubertal girls and vulvovaginitis-associated microbiota. The intestinal microbiomes of healthy children were also analyzed for comparison. This study revealed that the healthy vaginal tract in prepubertal girls was dominated by Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Ezakiella, and Peptoniphilus species, with a high diversity of microbiota. The vulvovaginitis-associated microbiota were dominated by Streptococcus, Prevotella, Haemophilus, and Granulicatella, with lower diversity than that in healthy girls. Furthermore, the compositions of the vaginal and intestinal microbiomes were completely different. ANOSIM, MRPP, Adonis, and AMOVA were used to analyze the beta diversity, and the results showed that there were significant differences in the microbial communities among the three groups. Lactobacillus deficiency and high bacterial diversity were characteristics of the vaginal microbiome in healthy prepubertal girls; this is inconsistent with that in reproductive-age women. The vulvovaginitis-associated vaginal microbiota differed dramatically from normal microbiota, and the main causative agents were not fecal in origin.

Sexual behavior shapes male genitourinary microbiome composition

“…Culture and metagenomic approaches have identified a broad array of bacterial taxa in pediatric vaginal and male urine specimens. 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 However, few common patterns have emerged across these studies, and there seems to be general agreement that pediatric urogenital microbiomes are disorganized and sparse. By adolescence, unknown behavioral and/or developmental changes in male individuals permit prolonged colonization of the distal PU by core microorganisms.…”

Host and Microbiome Interplay Shapes the Vaginal Microenvironment

“…In fact, an early cultivation method study demonstrated that vaginal microbiota of prepubertal girls mainly consisted of Staphylococcus epididermis, Enterococci, Escherichia coli (aerobic microbe), Peptococcus , and Peptostreptococcus (anaerobic microbe) ( 29 ). A recent 16s rRNA sequencing study revealed the vaginal microbiome of healthy prepubertal girls was dominated by Prevotella, Porphyromonas , and Ezakiella ( 30 ). Similar to prepubertal period, vaginal glycogen levels in menopausal women are lower than in premenopausal women ( 31 ).…”

Microbiological findings in prepubertal and pubertal girls with vulvovaginitis

“…What is considered as normal vaginal flora at different age periods is still a matter of dispute, and different data can be found in the literature. The vaginal microbiome is complex, and the presence of potential pathogens does not necessarily imply that they are responsible for the infection [7][8][9]. As a result, vaginal cultures obtained from vulvovaginitis cases must be cautiously evaluated before deciding specific antibacterial treatment.…”

“…BV has been rarely reported in the literature as a cause of vulvovaginitis in girls, and it was not associated with sexual activity [ 13 , 27 ]. In a normal prepubertal vagina, lactobacilli are lacking and, along with different aerobic species, anaerobic bacteria can also be found [ 2 , 7 , 9 , 15 ]. McGreal and Wood reported increased anaerobes (51%) in prepubertal girls [ 21 ].…”