RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A fruitful alliance: the synergy between <em>Atopobium vaginae</em> and <em>Gardnerella vaginalis</em> in bacterial vaginosis-associated biofilm
JF Sexually Transmitted Infections
JO Sex Transm Infect
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 487
OP 491
DO 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052475
VO 92
IS 7
A1 Liselotte Hardy
A1 Vicky Jespers
A1 Said Abdellati
A1 Irith De Baetselier
A1 Lambert Mwambarangwe
A1 Viateur Musengamana
A1 Janneke van de Wijgert
A1 Mario Vaneechoutte
A1 Tania Crucitti
YR 2016
UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/92/7/487.abstract
AB Objectives Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterised by a change in the microbial composition of the vagina. The BV-associated organisms outnumber the health-associated Lactobacillus species and form a polymicrobial biofilm on the vaginal epithelium, possibly explaining the difficulties with antibiotic treatment. A better understanding of vaginal biofilm with emphasis on Atopobium vaginae and Gardnerella vaginalis may contribute to a better diagnosis and treatment of BV.Methods To this purpose, we evaluated the association between the presence of both bacteria by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and BV by Nugent scoring in 463 vaginal slides of 120 participants participating in a clinical trial in Rwanda.Results A bacterial biofilm was detected in half of the samples using a universal bacterial probe. The biofilm contained A. vaginae in 54.1% and G. vaginalis in 82.0% of the samples. A. vaginae was accompanied by G. vaginalis in 99.5% of samples. The odds of having a Nugent score above 4 were increased for samples with dispersed G. vaginalis and/or A. vaginae present (OR 4.5; CI 2 to 10.3). The probability of having a high Nugent score was even higher when a combination of adherent G. vaginalis and dispersed A. vaginae was visualised (OR 75.6; CI 13.3 to 429.5) and highest when both bacteria were part of the biofilm (OR 119; CI 39.9 to 360.8).Conclusions Our study, although not comprehensive at studying the polymicrobial biofilm in BV, provided a strong indication towards the importance of A. vaginae and the symbiosis of A. vaginae and G. vaginalis in this biofilm.Trial registration number NCT01796613.