Comparison of the Diversity of the Vaginal Microbiota in HIV-Infected and HIV-Uninfected Women with or without Bacterial Vaginosis

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 198; no. 8; pp. 1131 - 1140
• Main Authors: Spear, Gregory T., Sikaroodi, Masoumeh, Zariffard, M. Reza, Landay, Alan L., French, Audrey L., Gillevet, Patrick M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15-10-2008; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacterial vaginosis; Biological and medical sciences; Citrobacter; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; DNA, Bacterial - isolation & purification; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gardnerella; Genitalia; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - virology; HIV/AIDS; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Lactobacillus; Lactobacillus - classification; Lactobacillus - genetics; Lactobacillus - isolation & purification; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Microbiota; Phylogeny; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Prevotella; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Sequencing; Taxa; Test ranges; Vagina - microbiology; Vagina - virology; Vaginosis, Bacterial - complications; Vaginosis, Bacterial - microbiology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Human; Immunopathology; Microbiology; Vagina; Vaginal diseases; Microflora; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Female genital diseases; Infection; Bacterial vaginosis; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Female
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/591942

Background. Whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with a change in the diversity of genital microbiota in women was investigated. Methods. Amplicon length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) analysis and pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene were used to analyze the diversity of the microbiota in HIV-positive (HIV+) and HIV-negative (HIV-) women with or without bacterial vaginosis (BV). Results. LH-PCR analysis revealed significantly more microbiota diversity in BV-positive (BV+) women than in BV-negative (BV-) women, but no significant difference was noted between HIV+ women and HIV- women. Pyrosequencing revealed that Lactobacillus organisms constituted a median of 96% of the bacteria in BV- women. BV+ women had a significantly higher number of taxa found at ⩾1% of the total genital microbiota (median, 11 taxa). Common taxa in BV+ women were Prevotella, Megasphaera, Gardnerella, Coriobacterineae, Lachnospira, and Sneathia. There was a trend (P = .07) toward the presence of a higher number of taxa in HIV+BV+ women than in HIV-BV+ women. Propionibacterineae, Citrobacter, and Anaerococcus were the taxa found only in HIV+ women (P < .05). Conclusions. The present study demonstrated that both LH-PCR analysis and pyrosequencing differentiated microbiota in BV+ women from that in BV- women and that pyrosequencing indicated a trend toward increased diversity in BV+HIV+ women, suggesting that HIV infection is associated with changes in the diversity of genital microbiota.