ArticlePloS one2011
Performance of swabs, lavage, and diluents to quantify biomarkers of female genital tract soluble mucosal mediators.
Article in PloS one, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 57 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Changes in concentrations of cervicovaginal immune mediators across the menstrual cycle: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data.BMC medicine · 2022Pooled it
- Performance and acceptability of self-collected human papillomavirus testing among women living with HIV.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2020Trial
- Trial
- Comparison of sampling methods to measure HIV RNA viral load in female genital tract secretions.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2017Trial
- A Phase 1 Trial to Assess the Safety, Acceptability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of a Novel Dapivirine Vaginal Film.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2016Trial
- Levels of Genital Tract Defensins and Cytokines Differ between HIV-Uninfected US and African Women.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2015Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Insights from healthy mares reveal that mammalian uteri harbor a diverse virome.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Metabolic comparison of minimally to noninvasive urogenital sample types for studying gynecologic health: A pilot study.iScience · 2025Article
- MicroRNA-Based Liquid Biopsy for Cervical Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment Monitoring.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Possible Therapeutic Mechanisms and Future Perspectives of Vaginal Microbiota Transplantation.Microorganisms · 2023Review
- Interactions between microbiota and cervical epithelial, immune, and mucus barrier.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Review
- Comparative analysis of vaginal microbiota sampling using menstrual cups and high vaginal swabs in pregnant women living with HIV-1 infection.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Article
- Sexual violence history predicts changes in vaginal immune parameters during sexual arousal.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2022Article
- Interferon epsilon and preterm birth subtypes; a new piece of the type I interferon puzzle during pregnancy?American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2022Article
- Considerations for Choosing Soluble Immune Markers to Determine Safety of Novel Vaginal Products.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2022Review
- Vaginal cytokine profile and microbiota before and after lubricant use compared with condomless vaginal sex: a preliminary observational study.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Observational
- Human beta defensin levels and vaginal microbiome composition in post-menopausal women diagnosed with lichen sclerosus.Scientific reports · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMeasurement of immune mediators and antimicrobial activity in female genital tract secretions may provide biomarkers predictive of risk for HIV-1 acquisition and surrogate markers of microbicide safety. However, optimal methods for sample collection do not exist. This study compared collection methods.
methodsSecretions were collected from 48 women (24 with bacterial vaginosis [BV]) using vaginal and endocervical Dacron and flocked swabs. Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) was collected with 10 mL of Normosol-R (n = 20), saline (n = 14), or water (n = 14). The concentration of gluconate in Normosol-R CVL was determined to estimate the dilution factor. Cytokine and antimicrobial mediators were measured by Luminex or ELISA and corrected for protein content. Endogenous anti-HIV-1 and anti-E. coli activity were measured by TZM-bl assay or E. coli growth.
resultsHigher concentrations of protein were recovered by CVL, despite a 10-fold dilution of secretions, as compared to swab eluents. After protein correction, endocervical swabs recovered the highest mediator levels regardless of BV status. Endocervical and vaginal flocked swabs recovered significantly higher levels of anti-HIV-1 and anti-E. coli activity than Dacron swabs (P<0.001). BV had a significant effect on CVL mediator recovery. Normosol-R tended to recover higher levels of most mediators among women with BV, whereas saline or water tended to recover higher levels among women without BV. Saline recovered the highest levels of anti-HIV-1 activity regardless of BV status.
conclusionsEndocervical swabs and CVL collected with saline provide the best recovery of most mediators and would be the optimal sampling method(s) for clinical trials.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.