Table 2.
Comparison of baseline vaginal parameters (pH, Nugent score, cytokines, and microbiology) of the participants (n = 58) which included fertile women (Control group), women with a history of repetitive abortion (RA group), and women with infertility of unknown origin (INF group).
| Group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaginal Parameter | Control (n = 14) | RA (n = 21) | INF (n = 23) | p-Value |
| pH | ||||
| Mean (95% CI) | 4.53 (4.38–4.68) a | 5.67 (5.55–5.79) b | 5.96 (5.84–6.07) b | 0.000 1 |
| Range (min–max) | (4.20–5.00) | (4.70–6.50) | (4.90–6.30) | |
| Nugent score | ||||
| Mean (95% CI) | 1.79 (1.27–2.30) a | 5.95 (5.54–6.37) b | 6.30 (5.91–6.70) b | 0.000 1 |
| Range (min–max) | (0.00–4.00) | (3.00–8.00) | (4.00–8.00) | |
| TGF-β 1, pg/mL | ||||
| Mean (95% CI) | 4.83 (4.65–5.01) a | 2.62 (2.47–2.76) b | 2.19 (2.05–2.33) c | 0.000 1 |
| Range (min–max) | (4.20–5.30) | (1.70–3.80) | (1.50–2.90) | |
| TGF-β 2, pg/mL | ||||
| Mean (95% CI) | 3.22 (3.10–3.34) a | 1.52 (1.43–1.62) b | 1.33 (1.24–1.43) b | 0.000 1 |
| Range (min–max) | (2.70–3.70) | (0.90–2.20) | (0.80–2.00) | |
| VEGF, pg/mL | ||||
| Mean (95% CI) | 406.0 (322.0–490.0) a | 274.8 (206.0–343.0) a,b | 181.2 (116.0–247.0) b | 0.016 1 |
| Range (min–max) | (1.4–929.0) | (95.0–562.0) | (38.0–431.0) | |
| Lactobacilli | ||||
| Positive women | 14 (100) | 12 (57) | 6 (26) | <0.001 3 |
| Viable counts, log10 CFU/mL 2 | ||||
| Mean (95% CI) | 7.24 (6.89–7.60) a | 5.04 (4.66–5.42) b | 5.78 (5.24–6.32) b | 0.000 1 |
| Range (min–max) | (6.80–7.70) | (3.60–6.70) | (3.70–7.50) | |
| L. salivarius qPCR, log10 copies/mL | ||||
| n (%) | 1 (7) | 0 | 0 | |
| Mean (95% CI) | 7.29 |
1 One-way ANOVA tests were used to evaluate differences in mean values between groups. Values followed by different superscript letters within the same row indicate statistically significant differences between groups according to Scheffé post hoc comparison tests. 2 Mean (95% CI) and range (min–max) values in lactobacilli-positive women. 3 Freeman–Halton extension of the Fisher exact probability test for a 2 × 3 contingency table were used to compute the (two-tailed) probability of obtaining a distribution of values of lactobacilli positive women. Abbreviations: TGF-β 1, transforming growth factor β 1; TGF-β 2, transforming growth factor β 2; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.