Article
Effect of probiotics on vaginal Ureaplasma parvum in women suffering from unexplained infertility

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.06.004Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Oral probiotic supplementation does not change vaginal alpha diversity

  • Oral probiotics contain the relative abundance of Ureaplasma parvum

  • L.crispatus, L.iners and L.gasseri were the leading vaginal representatives

  • Oral probiotics may assist in limiting the growth of non-beneficial bacteria

Abstract

Research question

Does oral probiotic supplementation influence the relative abundance of different vaginal microbiota in women experiencing infertility?

Design

A prospective, monocentric randomized controlled trial. To study the influence of probiotics on infertility, 80 patients with primary or secondary infertility were included. Patients were assigned to either a probiotic treatment or a control group. Participants in the treatment group (n = 40) took one sachet (2 g) a day of a defined probiotic supplement limiting Lactobacillus strains. Patients in the control group did not receive any additional probiotic supplements. Vaginal samples were taken on day 20 of the menstrual cycle and 4 weeks later, on day 20, of the consecutive cycle. Subsequently, 16s rRNA gene analysis of the vaginal samples was conducted.

Results

After the intervention phase, no effects on alpha diversity resulting from treatment could be observed. The between sample diversity of different women (beta diversity) at baseline had no effects of age, treatment group or body mass index. Primary or secondary sterility, however, had a significant effect on community. Three clusters (Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus gasseri) were identified as the leading representatives. Furthermore, patients treated with probiotics showed limited growth of Ureaplasma parvum compared with the control group (P = 0.021).

Conclusions

This study points to a possible protective effect of probiotic supplements on the vaginal microbiota. It is tempting to speculate that this effect assists in containing the growth of non-beneficial bacteria and helps to prevent or cure a dysbiotic vaginal flora.

KEYWORDS

Infertility
Lactobacillus
Probiotics
Ureaplasma parvum

Cited by (0)

Michael Schenk is Medical director of the Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH fertility clinic in Dobl, Austria. As a gynaecologist, he is constantly challenged to improve the techniques of IVF. His research interests are predominantly related to biomarkers in fertility treatment as well as preimplantation genetics and early implantation events.

Key message

Probiotics did not change vaginal alpha diversity but contained relative abundances of Ureaplasma parvum compared with the control group. It is tempting to speculate that probiotics have the effect of protecting the vaginal microbiota by limiting non-beneficial bacteria.