The vaginal microbiota in the course of bacterial vaginosis treatment

Zwittink, R.D.; Munckhof, E.H.A. van den; Leverstein-van Hall, M.A.; Boers, K.; Molijn, A.; Knetsch, C.W.; Kuijper, E.J. (2020)

Article / Letter to editor

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is perceived as a condition of disrupted vaginal microbiota, but remains of unknown aetiology. In this study, vaginal microbiota composition was determined in twenty-one women with BV, before and after treatment with metronidazole or clindamycin. Microbiota composition varied greatly between women and defining a (un)healthy vaginal microbiota state remains elusive, challenging BV diagnosis and treatment. While relative abundance ofLactobacillusincreased after antibiotic treatment in two-third of women, its abundance was not associated with treatment outcome. Instead, remaining complaints of abnormal vaginal discharge were more common after metronidazole treatment and associated with increased relative abundance ofUreaplasma.

• Antibiotics
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Clindamycin
• Metronidazole
• Microbiota
• 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing

• All authors: Zwittink, R.D.; Munckhof, E.H.A. van den; Leverstein-van Hall, M.A.; Boers, K.; Molijn, A.; Knetsch, C.W.; Kuijper, E.J.
• Date: 2020-10-07
• Journal: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• Volume: 40
• Pages: 651 - 656
• DOI: doi:10.1007/s10096-020-04049-6
• Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10096-020-04049-6