Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28931859›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2017

A longitudinal analysis of the vaginal microbiota and vaginal immune mediators in women from sub-Saharan Africa.

Vicky Jespers, Jordan Kyongo, Sarah Joseph, Liselotte Hardy, Piet Cools, Tania Crucitti, Mary Mwaura, Gilles Ndayisaba, Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Jozefien Buyze and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 92 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
92citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

92 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Vaginal microbiota stability over 18 months in young student women in France.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2024
    Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Population‑Specific Diversity of Dominant VaginalInternational journal of women's health · 2026
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Bacterial vaginosis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025
    Review
  20. Aging Is Associated With Decreased Lactobacillus and Increased Cervicovaginal Inflammation in Canadian Women.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2025
    Article

32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Vicky JespersHIV and Sexual Health Group, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. jespersvicky@gmail.com.
Jordan KyongoVirology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Sarah JosephMRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, London, UK.
Liselotte HardyHIV and Sexual Health Group, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Piet CoolsLaboratory Bacteriology Research, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Tania CrucittiHIV/STI Reference Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Mary MwauraInternational Centre for Reproductive Health in Mombasa, Mombasa, Kenya.
Gilles NdayisabaRinda Ubuzima, Kigali, Rwanda.
Sinead Delany-MoretlweWits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Jozefien BuyzeClinical Trials Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Guido VanhamVirology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Janneke H H M van de WijgertDepartment of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2728-4560

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_UU_12023/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12023/23
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In cross-sectional studies increased vaginal bacterial diversity has been associated with vaginal inflammation which can be detrimental for health. We describe longitudinal changes at 5 visits over 8 weeks in vaginal microbiota and immune mediators in African women. Women (N = 40) with a normal Nugent score at all visits had a stable lactobacilli dominated microbiota with prevailing Lactobacillus iners. Presence of prostate-specific antigen (proxy for recent sex) and being amenorrhoeic (due to progestin-injectable use), but not recent vaginal cleansing, were significantly associated with microbiota diversity and inflammation (controlled for menstrual cycle and other confounders). Women (N = 40) with incident bacterial vaginosis (Nugent 7-10) had significantly lower concentrations of lactobacilli and higher concentrations of Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, and Prevotella bivia, at the incident visit and when concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-12p70) were increased and IP-10 and elafin were decreased. A higher 'composite-qPCR vaginal-health-score' was directly associated with decreased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-8, IL-12(p70)) and increased IP-10. This longitudinal study confirms the inflammatory nature of vaginal dysbiosis and its association with recent vaginal sex and progestin-injectable use. A potential role for proinflammatory mediators and IP-10 in combination with the vaginal-health-score as predictive biomarkers for vaginal dysbiosis merits further investigation.

Indexed as

MicrobiotaAfrica South of the SaharaBacteriaFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesVaginaVaginosis, Bacterial

Identifiers

PMID28931859
PMCPMC5607244

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.