Vaginal bacterial profiles of aerobic vaginitis: a case–control study

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) has drawn increasing attention because of its threat to women's reproductive health and pregnancy. However, little is known about the overall structure of vaginal bacterial communities in women with AV. The diversity of vaginal microbiota was evaluated by amplicon sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA V4 region. Routine laboratory tests, including cultivation, were used. Firmicutes (mainly Lactobacillus crispatus and L. iners) were dominant in healthy women (n = 160), while Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were strongly associated with AV (n = 80). The onset of AV was marked by a striking decline in L. crispatus and an increase in multiple aerobes, including Streptococcus agalactiae, S. anginosus, etc. The overall drug resistance level of gram-positive bacteria against erythromycin and clindamycin was high, and the overall drug resistance level of gram-negative bacteria against ampicillin was high. Multiple aerobes and facultative anaerobes were involved in vaginal dysbiosis, which was associated with decreasing L. crispatus levels. Probiotics containing L. crispatus may be potential supplementary agents.