Comparison of the Vaginal Microbiota in Postmenopausal Black and White Women

Overview

Journal J Infect Dis

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2020 Dec 28

PMID 33367735

Citations 5

Authors

Patricia L Hudson

Wodan Ling

Michael C Wu

Matthew R Hayward

Alissa J Mitchell

Joseph Larson

Katherine A Guthrie

Susan D Reed

Douglas S Kwon

Caroline M Mitchell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: We compared vaginal microbial communities in postmenopausal black and white women.

Methods: Shotgun sequencing of vaginal swabs from postmenopausal women self-identified as black or white was compared using MiRKAT.

Results: Vaginal community dominance by Lactobacillus crispatus or Lactobacillusgasseri was more common in 44 postmenopausal black women (n = 12, 27%) than among 44 matched white women (n = 2, 5%; P = .01). No individual taxa were significantly more abundant in either group.

Conclusions: We identified small overall differences in vaginal microbial communities of black and white postmenopausal women. L. crispatus dominance was more common in black women.

Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02516202 (MsFLASH05) and NCT01418209 (MsFLASH03).

Citing Articles

Aging Is Associated With Decreased Lactobacillus and Increased Cervicovaginal Inflammation in Canadian Women.

Dang H, Noel-Romas L, Knodel S, Birse K, Lamont A, Kratzer K Am J Reprod Immunol. 2025; 93(2):e70058.

PMID: 39968674 PMC: 11836769. DOI: 10.1111/aji.70058.

Vaginal Microbiome: Environmental, Biological, and Racial Influences on Gynecological Health Across the Lifespan.

Dube-Zinatelli E, Cappelletti L, Ismail N Am J Reprod Immunol. 2024; 92(6):e70026.

PMID: 39670915 PMC: 11640209. DOI: 10.1111/aji.70026.

The Postmenopausal Vaginal Microbiome and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause.

Micks E, Reed S, Mitchell C Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2023; 67(1):79-88.

PMID: 38032828 PMC: 10873068. DOI: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000832.

Short-Chain Fatty Acids Impair Neutrophil Antiviral Function in an Age-Dependent Manner.

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The association between the pre-pregnancy vaginal microbiome and time-to-pregnancy: a Chinese pregnancy-planning cohort study.

Hong X, Zhao J, Yin J, Zhao F, Wang W, Ding X BMC Med. 2022; 20(1):246.

PMID: 35909180 PMC: 9341075. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02437-7.

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