Table 3.
Overview of VMB composition characteristics by study, stratified by intervention exposure (VMB Rwanda) and ethnic group (HELIUS).
|
VMB Rwanda (not influenced by interventions)a |
VMB Rwanda (influenced by interventions)a |
HARP South Africa |
HELIUS Sub-Saharan African originb |
HELIUS Turkish, Moroccan, South-Asian originc |
HELIUS Dutch origin |
All groups | P-valued | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samples with relative abundance data available (N) Samples with estimated concentration data available (N) |
366 158 |
263 221 |
869 0 |
183 0 |
264 0 |
99 0 |
2,044 379 |
NA |
| Nugent score category (n %)e: - 0–3 - 4–6 - 7–10 |
N = 231 79 (34.2) 27 (11.7) 125 (54.1) |
N = 227 111 (48.9) 40 (17.6) 76 (33.5) |
N = 445 151 (33.9) 102 (22.9) 192 (43.2) |
NA | NA | NA |
N = 903 341 (37.8) 169 (18.7) 393 (43.5) |
<0.001 |
| Simpson diversity index (1-D; mean, 95% CI)f | 0.53 (0.50–0.56) | 0.40 (0.36–0.44) | 0.54 (0.52–0.56) | 0.39 (0.35–0.43) | 0.34 (0.31–0.38) | 0.32 (0.27–0.37) | 0.47 (0.46–0.48) | <0.001 |
| VMB types (n %)g: - L. iners-dominated (Li) - L. crispatus-dominated (Lcr) - Dominated by other lactobacilli (Lo) - Lactobacilli plus anaerobes (LA) - Polybacterial G. vaginalis-containing (BV_GV) - Polybacterial with little G. vaginalis (BV_noGV) - G. vaginalis-dominated (GV) - Pathobionts-containing (PB) |
119 (32.5) 10 (2.7) 18 (4.9) 45 (12.3) 102 (27.9) 21 (5.7) 26 (7.1) 25 (6.8) |
128 (48.7) 7 (2.7) 10 (3.8) 41 (15.6) 36 (13.7) 2 (0.8) 15 (5.7) 24 (9.1) |
237 (27.3) 65 (7.5) 5 (0.6) 188 (21.6) 215 (24.7) 75 (8.6) 49 (5.6) 33 (3.8) |
49 (26.8) 33 (18.0) 5 (2.7) 12 (6.6) 38 (20.8) 4 (2.2) 35 (19.1) 7 (3.8) |
89 (34.6) 61 (23.7) 5 (2.0) 28 (10.9) 15 (5.8) 10 (3.9) 32 (12.5) 17 (6.6) |
24 (24.5) 38 (38.8) 6 (6.1) 8 (8.2) 8 (8.2) 0 13 (13.3) 1 (1.0) |
646 (31.6) 214 (10.5) 49 (2.4) 322 (15.8) 414 (20.3) 112 (5.5) 170 (8.3) 107 (5.2) |
<0.001 |
| Relative abundance of VMB bacterial groups (mean, 95% CI): | ||||||||
| - Total lactobacilli - L. iners - L. crispatus - Other lactobacilli - Total BV-anaerobes - G. vaginalis - A. vaginae - Prevotella species - Other BV-anaerobes - Total pathobionts - Streptococcus species -Staphylococcus species - Escherichia/Shigella species - Other pathobiontsh,i - Total other bacteria |
0.46 (0.42–0.51) 0.36 (0.32–0.40) 0.03 (0.02–0.05) 0.07 (0.05–0.09) 0.48 (0.44–0.52) 0.18 (0.16-0.20) 0.03 (0.02-0.04) 0.07 (0.06–0.08) 0.20 (0.18–0.23) 0.05 (0.03–0.07) 0.04 (0.02–0.05) 0 (0–0.01) 0.01 (0–0.02) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0) |
0.63 (0.59–0.68) 0.53 (0.48–0.58) 0.04 (0.02–0.06) 0.07 (0.04–0.09) 0.30 (0.25–0.34) 0.15 (0.12–0.17) 0.01 (0.01–0.02) 0.03 (0.02–0.04) 0.10 (0.08–0.12) 0.07 (0.04–0.09) 0.05 (0.03–0.07) 0 (0–0) 0.01 (0–0.02) 0.01 (0–0.01) 0 (0–0.01) |
0.47 (0.44–0.50) 0.37 (0.34–0.39) 0.08 (0.07–0.10) 0.02 (0.01–0.02) 0.49 (0.46–0.52) 0.17 (0.15–0.18) 0.03 (0.02–0.03) 0.06 (0.06–0.07) 0.23 (0.22–0.25) 0.03 (0.02–0.04) 0.02 (0.01–0.03) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0) 0.01 (0.01–0.01) |
0.52 (0.45–0.58) 0.30 (0.25–0.36) 0.18 (0.13–0.23) 0.04 (0.02–0.06) 0.44 (0.37–0.50) 0.23 (0.19–0.27) 0.09 (0.07–0.11) 0.02 (0.01–0.03) 0.10 (0.07–0.12) 0.03 (0.01–0.05) 0.02 (0.01–0.04) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0.01) 0 (0–0) 0.01 (0.01–0.02) |
0.64 (0.59–0.69) 0.34 (0.29–0.39) 0.24 (0.19–0.28) 0.06 (0.04–0.08) 0.27 (0.22–0.31) 0.16 (0.12–0.19) 0.04 (0.03–0.05) 0.02 (0.01–0.03) 0.05 (0.04–0.06) 0.04 (0.02–0.06) 0.03 (0.02–0.04) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0.01) 0.01 (0–0.01) 0.05 (0.03–0.07) |
0.73 (0.65–0.80) 0.28 (0.20–0.35) 0.38 (0.29–0.46) 0.08 (0.04–0.11) 0.25 (0.17–0.32) 0.16 (0.10–0.21) 0.06 (0.03–0.08) 0.01 (0–0.01) 0.03 (0.02–0.04) 0.01 (0–0.03) 0 (0–0.01) 0.01 (0–0.03) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0) 0.01 (0.00–0.03) |
0.53 (0.51–0.55) 0.37 (0.36–0.39) 0.11 (0.10–0.12) 0.04 (0.04–0.05) 0.42 (0.40–0.44) 0.17 (0.16–0.18) 0.04 (0.03–0.04) 0.05 (0.04–0.05) 0.16 (0.15–0.17) 0.04 (0.03–0.04) 0.03 (0.02–0.03) 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0.01) 0 (0–0) 0.01 (0.01–0.02) |
<0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 |
| Relative abundance total pathobionts categorical (n %): | ||||||||
| <1% of reads 1%–<10% 10%–<20% 20%–<50% 50% or more |
467 (74.2) 87 (13.8) 26 (4.1) 24 (3.9) 25 (4.0) |
190 (72.2) 36 (13.7) 13 (4.9) 10 (3.8) 14 (5.3) |
726 (83.5) 88 (10.1) 22 (2.5) 18 (2.1) 15 (1.7) |
162 (88.5) 14 (7.7) 0 2 (1.1) 5 (2.7) |
203 (76.9) 42 (15.9) 2 (0.8) 10 (3.8) 7 (2.7) |
87 (87.9) 10 (10.1) 1 (1.0) 0 1 (1.0) |
1,645 (80.5) 241 (11.8) 51 (2.5) 54 (2.6) 53 (2.6) |
<0.001 |
| Estimated concentration of VMB bacterial groups in log10 cells/μl (mean, 95% CI): | ||||||||
| - Total lactobacilli -L. iners - L. crispatus-Other lactobacilli - Total BV-anaerobes -G. vaginalis - A. vaginae - Prevotella species - Other BV-anaerobes - Total pathobionts - Streptococcus species -Staphylococcus species -Enterococcus species -Escherichia/Shigella species -Campylobacter species -Haemophilus species - Other pathobiontsi,j - Total other bacteria |
5.12 (4.97–5.27) 4.78 (4.60–4.97) 0.64 (0.48–0.80) 2.29 (2.08–2.50) 5.17 (4.99–5.35) 4.48 (4.25–4.71) 2.80 (2.53–3.07) 3.00 (2.75–3.25) 4.30 (4.09–4.51) 2.18 (1.96–2.40) 1.59 (1.38–1.81) 0.46 (0.35–0.58) 0.17 (0.09–0.25) 0.50 (0.37–0.63) 0.12 (0.05–0.19) 0.07 (0.02–0.12) 0.36 (0.18–0.53) 1.92 (1.72–2.11) |
4.84 (4.58–5.10) 4.56 (4.25–4.87) 0.44 (0.23–0.65) 1.73 (1.40–2.06) 5.74 (5.48–6.01) 5.08 (4.75–5.40) 3.97 (3.56–4.38) 4,01 (3.65–4.38) 5.08 (4.79–5.37) 2.04 (1.69–2.38) 1.47 (1.14–1.80) 0.41 (0.24–0.58) 0.06 (0–0.13) 0.35 (0.17–0.54) 0.17 (0.04–0.29) 0.08 (0–0.16) 0.40 (0.25–0.55) 1.92 (1.61–2.31) |
NA | NA | NA | NA | 5.32 (5.15–5.49) 4.95 (4.72–5.17) 0.78 (0.56–1.01) 2.69 (2.43–2.96) 4.76 (4.53–4.99) 4.05 (3.75–4.35) 1.96 (1.64–2.29) 2.28 (1.97–2.59) 3.75 (3.48–4.02) 2.28 (1.99–2.57) 1.68 (1.39–1.97) 0.50 (0.34–0.66) 0.24 (0.12–0.37) 0.61 (0.42–0.79) 0.09 (0.01–0.17) 0.07 (0–0.13) 0.38 (0.27–0.49) 1.92 (1.66–2.17) |
0.005 0.051 0.049 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.318 0.326 0.400 0.055 0.030 0.239 0.860 0.579 1.00 |
A, Atopobium; BV, bacterial vaginosis; CI, confidence interval; G, Gardnerella; L, Lactobacillus; NA, not assessed/applicable; VMB, vaginal microbiota.
The unit of analysis is one sample. Cells contain at most five missing values unless otherwise indicated.
Samples collected at the screening and Month 6 visits in all randomization groups, and at the Month 1 and Month 2 visits in the no–intervention group, were considered not influenced by the interventions.
Included Dutch women of African Surinamese and Ghanaian origin.
Included Dutch women of South–Asian Surinamese, Moroccan, and Turkish origin.
Using the Chi-squared test for categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables.
Nugent scoring of Gram stains was performed during the all scheduled study visits in the VMB study, the first study visit in the HARP study, and not at all in the HELIUS study.
Based on the rarefied sequencing data set of each of the studies.
The HARP and HELIUS studies also identified samples that had significant abundance of Bifidobacteria (n = 2 in HARP and n = 8 in HELIUS).
These pathobiont genera were uncommon (mean relative abundance lower than 1% for each of the genera).
Also includes reads assigned to the pathogens Chlamydia, Neisseria, and Treponema genus.
Individual pathobionts in this rest group were detected at a mean estimated concentration of at most 0.02 log10 cells/μl in the Rwanda VMB study.