ArticleScientific reports2021
Human beta defensin levels and vaginal microbiome composition in post-menopausal women diagnosed with lichen sclerosus.
Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Postbiotics originated from Lactobacillus crispatus NCU-31 improves vulvar lichen sclerosus: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial.BMC microbiology · 2026Trial
- Lichen sclerosus. Part 1. Guideline of the DGG, DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S3-Level, AWMF Registry No. 013-105, July 2025.Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde · 2026Article
- Genital Lichen Sclerosus-The Role of the Vulvar Microbiome.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
- Health disorders in menopausal women: microbiome alterations, associated problems, and possible treatments.Biomedical engineering online · 2025Review
- Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: A Literature Review with Consideration of Integrative Therapies.Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) · 2025Review
- Vulvar and Vaginal Graft-Versus-Host Disease: prevalence and repercussions on vaginal microbiota.Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia · 2025Observational
- The relationship between the vaginal and vulvar microbiomes and lichen sclerosus symptoms in post-menopausal women.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Cervicovaginal Microbial-Immune State and Group B Streptococcus Colonization in Pregnancy.American journal of perinatology · 2024Article
- Anovaginal Colonization by Group BAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Defensins: defenders of human reproductive health.Human reproduction update · 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
- Bladder Tissue Microbiome Composition in Patients of Bladder Cancer or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Related Human Beta Defensin Levels.Biomedicines · 2022Article
- Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
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Abstract
Human beta defensins (hBDs) may play an important role in the progression of lichen sclerosus (LS), due to their ability to induce excessive stimulation of extracellular matrix synthesis and fibroblast activation. The genetic ability of the individual to produce defensins, the presence of microbes influencing defensin production, and the sensitivity of microbes to defensins together regulate the formation of an ever-changing balance between defensin levels and microbiome composition. We investigated the potential differences in postmenopausal vaginal microbiome composition and vaginal hBD levels in LS patients compared to non-LS controls. LS patients exhibited significantly lower levels of hBD1 (p = 0.0003), and significantly higher levels of hBD2 (p = 0.0359) and hBD3 (p = 0.0002), compared to the control group. The microbiome of the LS patients was dominated by possibly harmful bacteria including Lactobacillus iners, Streptococcus anginosus or Gardnerella vaginalis known to initiate direct or indirect damage by increasing defensin level production. Our observations highlight that correcting the composition of the microbiome may be applicable in supplementary LS therapy by targeting the restoration of the beneficial flora that does not increase hBD2-3 production.
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