Vaginal microbiome in early pregnancy and subsequent risk of spontaneous preterm birth: a case-control study

Study information

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Atrayees on 2023-7-12

study design

case-control

Citation

PMID PubMed identifier for scientific articles.

29791775

DOI Digital object identifier for electronic documents.

10.1111/1471-0528.15299

URI

Authors

Tabatabaei N, Eren AM, Barreiro LB, Yotova V, Dumaine A, Allard C, Fraser WD

Journal

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology

Year

2019

Keywords:

16S rRNA, Lactobacillus, bacterial vaginosis, preterm birth, vaginal microbiome

OBJECTIVES: To explore differences in the vaginal microbiome between preterm and term deliveries. DESIGN: Nested case-control study in 3D cohort (design, develop, discover). SETTING: Quebec, Canada. SAMPLE: Ninety-four women with spontaneous preterm birth as cases [17 early (<34 weeks) and 77 late (34-36 weeks) preterm birth] and 356 women as controls with term delivery (≥37 weeks). METHODS: To assess the vaginal microbiome by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene in swabs self-collected during early pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of relative abundance of bacterial operational taxonomic units and oligotypes and identifying vaginal community state types (CSTs) in early or late spontaneous preterm and term deliveries. RESULTS: Lactobacillus gasseri/ Lactobacillus johnsonii (coefficient -5.36, 95% CI -8.07 to -2.65), Lactobacillus crispatus (99%)/ Lactobacillus acidophilus (99%) (-4.58, 95% CI -6.20 to -2.96), Lactobacillus iners (99%)/ Ralstonia solanacearum (99%) (-3.98, 95% CI -6.48 to -1.47) and Bifidobacterium longum/ Bifidobacterium breve (-8.84, 95% CI -12.96 to -4.73) were associated with decreased risk of early but not late preterm birth. Six vaginal CSTs were identified: four dominated by Lactobacillus; one with presence of bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria (Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae and Veillonellaceae bacterium) (CST IV); and one with nondominance of Lactobacillus (CST VI). CST IV was associated with increased risk of early (4.22, 95% CI 1.24-24.85) but not late (1.63, 95% CI 0.68-5.04) preterm birth, compared with CST VI. CONCLUSIONS: Lactobacillus gasseri/L. johnsonii, L. crispatus/L. acidophilus, L. iners/R. solanacearum and B. longum/B. breve may be associated with decreased risk of early preterm birth. A bacterial vaginosis-related vaginal CST versus a CST nondominated by Lactobacillus may be associated with increased risk of early preterm birth. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Largest study of its kind finds certain species of vaginal Lactobacillus + Bifidobacterium may relate to lower risk of preterm birth.

Experiment 1

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Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Atrayees on 2023-7-12

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: WikiWorks

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks, Atrayees

Subjects

Location of subjects: Canada

Host species Species from which microbiome was sampled. Contact us to have more species added.: Homo sapiens

Body site Anatomical site where microbial samples were extracted from according to the Uber Anatomy Ontology: Vagina Vagina,vagina,Distal oviductal region,Distal portion of oviduct,Vaginae

Condition The experimental condition / phenotype studied according to the Experimental Factor Ontology: Premature birth Birth, Premature,Birth, Preterm,Births, Premature,Births, Preterm,Premature Births,Preterm Birth,Preterm Births,Premature birth,premature birth

Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies: mothers whose newborns were delivered at ≥37 getastional weeks

Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies: mothers whose newborns were delivered at <34 gestational week

Group 0 sample size Number of subjects in the control (unexposed) group: 365

Group 1 sample size Number of subjects in the case (exposed) group: 17

Lab analysis

Sequencing type: 16S

16S variable region One or more hypervariable region(s) of the bacterial 16S gene: V4

Sequencing platform Manufacturer and experimental platform used for quantifying microbial abundance: Illumina

Statistical Analysis

Data transformation Data transformation applied to microbial abundance measurements prior to differential abundance testing (if any).: relative abundances

Statistical test: NLMIXED

Significance threshold p-value or FDR threshold used for differential abundance testing (if any): 0.05

MHT correction Have statistical tests be corrected for multiple hypothesis testing (MHT)?: Yes

Confounders controlled for Confounding factors that have been accounted for by stratification or model adjustment: body mass index, ethnic group, smoking behavior, maternal age, parity

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Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by Atrayees on 2023-7-12

Curated date: 2021/01/10

Curator: Shaimaa Elsafoury

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks

Source: Table 2 & S2

Description: Vaginal microbial oligotype differential relative abundance composition between pregnant women who had early (<34 weeks of gestation) preterm versus full term (≥37 weeks gestation) deliveries

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in mothers whose newborns were delivered at <34 gestational week

NCBI	Quality Control	Links
Lactobacillus gasseri
Lactobacillus johnsonii
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum
Bifidobacterium breve
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus crispatus
Lactobacillus iners
Ralstonia solanacearum
Bifidobacterium

Revision editor(s): WikiWorks