English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), characterized by a shift of the vaginal microbiota from a  Lactobacillus -dominated community to a dense biofilm containing a complex mixture of organisms, is an important risk factor in poor reproductive health outcomes. The Nugent score, based on Gram stain, is used to diagnose BV and  Gardnerella vaginalis  abundance in the sample is one factor determining Nugent score. A high Nugent score is indicative of BV but does not always correspond to the presence of clinical symptoms.  G. vaginalis  is recognized as a heterogeneous group of organisms, which can also be part of the normal, healthy vaginal microbiome. In addition, asymptomatic BV and non- Gardnerella  types of BV are being recognized. In an attempt to resolve the heterogeneous group of  G. vaginalis , a phylogenetic tree of  cpn 60 universal target sequences from  G. vaginalis  isolates was constructed that indicates the existence of four subgroups of  G. vaginalis . This subdivision, supported by whole genome similarity calculation of representative strains using JSpecies, demonstrates that these subgroups may represent different species. The  cpn 60 subgroupings did not correspond with the Piot biotyping scheme, but did show consistency with ARDRA genotyping and sialidase gene presence. Isolates from all four subgroups produced biofilm  in vitro . We also investigated the distribution of  G. vaginalis  subgroups in vaginal samples from Kenyan women with Nugent scores consistent with BV, Intermediate and Normal microbiota (n = 44). All subgroups of  G. vaginalis  were detected in these women, with a significant difference (z = −3.372, n = 39, p = 0.001) in frequency of  G. vaginalis  subgroup B between BV and Normal groups. Establishment of a quantifiable relationship between  G. vaginalis  subgroup distribution and clinical status could have significant diagnostic implications.

Resolution and Characterization of Distinct cpn60-Based Subgroups of Gardnerella vaginalis in the Vaginal Microbiota