Lactobacillus crispatus thrives in pregnancy hormonal milieu in a Nigerian patient cohort.

Steroid hormones are one of the presumed modulators of Lactobacillus abundance in the vaginal epithelium. We set out to characterize the vaginal microbiome (VMB) and also provide an in-depth understanding of the relative contribution of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P1) in shaping the vaginal microbiome of Nigerian women (n = 38) who experienced both uncomplicated term delivery and preterm delivery using samples longitudinally collected during pregnancy (17-21, 27-31, 36-41 weeks gestation) and 6 weeks postpartum. Vaginal swabs and blood samples were aseptically collected.

Predominance of Atopobium vaginae at Midtrimester: a Potential Indicator of Preterm Birth Risk in a Nigerian Cohort.

Preterm birth (PTB) is the largest contributor to infant death in sub-Saharan Africa and globally. With a global estimate of 773,600, Nigeria has the third highest rate of PTB worldwide. There have been a number of microbiome profiling studies to identify vaginal microbiomes suggestive of preterm and healthy birth outcome.