Effect of bacterial vaginosis, Lactobacillus and Premarin estrogen replacement therapy on vaginal gene expression changes

Dahn, Adam; Saunders, Sheri; Hammond, Jo Anne; Carter, David; Kirjavainen, Pirkka V.; Reid, Gregor

doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2008.02.007

Cited by 23 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The similarity in results suggests that many of the genes being differentially regulated between dryness and healthy women may be as a result of differential estrogen levels between the groups. This is further supported by the up-regulation of one of the vaginal epithelial cornified envelope genes (LCE3D) following estrogen replacement therapy [29], that was 14-fold down-regulated in women with vaginal dryness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Vaginal Microbiome and Epithelial Gene Array in Post-Menopausal Women with Moderate to Severe Dryness

et al. 2011

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

After menopause, many women experience vaginal dryness and atrophy of tissue, often attributed to the loss of estrogen. An understudied aspect of vaginal health in women who experience dryness due to atrophy is the role of the resident microbes. It is known that the microbiota has an important role in healthy vaginal homeostasis, including maintaining the pH balance and excluding pathogens. The objectives of this study were twofold: first to identify the microbiome of post-menopausal women with and without vaginal dryness and symptoms of atrophy; and secondly to examine any differences in epithelial gene expression associated with atrophy. The vaginal microbiome of 32 post-menopausal women was profiled using Illumina sequencing of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Sixteen subjects were selected for follow-up sampling every two weeks for 10 weeks. In addition, 10 epithelial RNA samples (6 healthy and 4 experiencing vaginal dryness) were acquired for gene expression analysis by Affymetrix Human Gene array. The microbiota abundance profiles were relatively stable over 10 weeks compared to previously published data on premenopausal women. There was an inverse correlation between Lactobacillus ratio and dryness and an increased bacterial diversity in women experiencing moderate to severe vaginal dryness. In healthy participants, Lactobacillus iners and L. crispatus were generally the most abundant, countering the long-held view that lactobacilli are absent or depleted in menopause. Vaginal dryness and atrophy were associated with down-regulation of human genes involved in maintenance of epithelial structure and barrier function, while those associated with inflammation were up-regulated consistent with the adverse clinical presentation.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Vaginal Microbiome and Epithelial Gene Array in Post-Menopausal Women with Moderate to Severe Dryness

et al. 2011

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a study of women susceptible to UTI, it was discovered that immunological defects in peripheral blood coexisted with a persistently aberrant microbiota (Kirjavainen et al [29]). In postmenopausal women, BV was associated with apparent reduced expression of host antimicrobial factors [30]. When probiotic L. rhamnosus GR-1 was administered to the vagina of premenopausal women, it resulted in 3 536 gene expression changes and increased expression levels of some antimicrobial defenses [31].…”

Section: The Microbiota Of the Vaginamentioning

confidence: 99%

Vaginal Microbiota and the Use of Probiotics

Cribby

Taylor

Reid

2008

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases

Self Cite

172

125

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The human vagina is inhabited by a range of microbes from a pool of over 50 species. Lactobacilli are the most common, particularly in healthy women. The microbiota can change composition rapidly, for reasons that are not fully clear. This can lead to infection or to a state in which organisms with pathogenic potential coexist with other commensals. The most common urogenital infection in premenopausal women is bacterial vaginosis (BV), a condition characterized by a depletion of lactobacilli population and the presence of Gram-negative anaerobes, or in some cases Gram-positive cocci, and aerobic pathogens. Treatment of BV traditionally involves the antibiotics metronidazole or clindamycin, however, the recurrence rate remains high, and this treatment is not designed to restore the lactobacilli. In vitro studies have shown that Lactobacillus strains can disrupt BV and yeast biofilms and inhibit the growth of urogenital pathogens. The use of probiotics to populate the vagina and prevent or treat infection has been considered for some time, but only quite recently have data emerged to show efficacy, including supplementation of antimicrobial treatment to improve cure rates and prevent recurrences.

show abstract

“…Vaginal pH was measured near the planed injection site and in the lateral vaginal fornix. For the vaginal flora, the Nugent score [ 28 , 29 ] which provides a tool to quantify the vaginal ecosystem where scores of 0–3, 4–6 and 7–10 represent normal flora, intermediate flora and vaginosis respectively. All vaginal flora assessments were performed at the Bacteriology department, CHRU, Nimes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the effect of multipoint intra-mucosal vaginal injection of a specific cross-linked hyaluronic acid for vulvovaginal atrophy: a prospective bi-centric pilot study

Berreni

Salerno²,

Chevalier

et al. 2021

BMC Women's Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Vulvo-vaginal atrophy (VVA) is one of the common consequences of estrogen deficiency especially after the menopause. Several studies have assessed the effects of Hyaluronic acid (HA) on physical and sexual symptoms associated with VVA with promising results. However, most of these studies have focused on subjective assessment of symptom response to topically administered preparations. Nonetheless, HA is an endogenous molecule and it is logical that its effects are best realized if injected in the superficial epithelial layers. Desirial® is the first crosslinked HA that is administered by injection in the vaginal mucosa. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of multipoint vaginal intra-mucosal injections of specific cross-linked hyaluronic acid (DESIRIAL®, Laboratoires VIVACY) on several clinical and patient reported core outcomes. Methods A cohort bi-centric pilot study. The chosen outcomes included change in vaginal mucosa thickness, biological markers for collagen formation, vaginal flora, vaginal pH, vaginal health index, vulvo-vaginal atrophy symptoms and sexual function 8 weeks post Desirial® injection. Patients’ satisfaction was also assessed using the patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I) scale. Results A total of 20 participants were recruited between 19/06/2017 and 05/07/2018. At the end of the study, there was no difference in the median total thickness of the vaginal mucosa or in procollagen I, III or Ki67 fluorescence. However, there was a statistically significant increase in COL1A1 and COL3A1 gene expression (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0010 respectively). There was also a significant reduction in reported dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, vulvar pruritus, vaginal chafing and significant improvement in all female sexual function index dimensions. Based on PGI-I, 19 patients (95%) reported varying degrees of improvement where, 4 (20%) felt slightly better; 7 (35%) better and 8 (40%) much better. Conclusions Multi-point vaginal intra-mucosal injections, of Desirial® (a crosslinked HA) was significantly associated with the expression of CoL1A1 and CoL3A1 suggesting stimulation of collagen formation. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in VVA symptomatology and a significant improvement in patient satisfaction and sexual function scores. However, there was no demonstrable change in the total vaginal mucosal thickness. Study registration ID-RCB: 2016-A00124-47, Protocol code number: LOCAL/2016/PM-001.

show abstract

Effect of bacterial vaginosis, Lactobacillus and Premarin estrogen replacement therapy on vaginal gene expression changes

Cited by 23 publications

References 46 publications

Vaginal Microbiome and Epithelial Gene Array in Post-Menopausal Women with Moderate to Severe Dryness

Vaginal Microbiome and Epithelial Gene Array in Post-Menopausal Women with Moderate to Severe Dryness

Vaginal Microbiota and the Use of Probiotics

Evaluation of the effect of multipoint intra-mucosal vaginal injection of a specific cross-linked hyaluronic acid for vulvovaginal atrophy: a prospective bi-centric pilot study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About