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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\u2009=\u200938) who experienced both uncomplicated term delivery and preterm delivery using samples longitudinally collected during pregnancy (17\u201321, 27\u201331, 36\u201341\u00a0weeks gestation) and 6\u00a0weeks postpartum. Vaginal swabs and blood samples were aseptically collected. Vaginal swabs were used for microbiome assessment using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. Blood samples were used for hormonal measurement using a competitive-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Across several maternal covariates, maternal age, pregnancy status and delivery mode were not significantly associated with the vaginal microbiota whereas maternal E2 level (p<jats:sub>E2<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.006, Omnibus), and P1 level (p<jats:sub>P1<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.001, Omnibus) were significantly associated with the vaginal microbiome. E2 and P1 concentrations increased throughout pregnancy commensurately with increasing proportions of<jats:italic>L. crispatus<\/jats:italic>(p<jats:sub>E2<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.036, p<jats:sub>P1<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.034, Linear Mixed Model). An increasing trend of \u03b1-diversity was also observed as pregnancy progressed (p<jats:sub>observed ASV<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.006, LMM). A compositional microbiome shift from<jats:italic>Lactobacillus<\/jats:italic>profile to non-<jats:italic>Lactobacillus<\/jats:italic>profile was observed in most postnatal women (p<jats:sub>CST IV<\/jats:sub>\u2009&lt;\u20090.001, LMM). Analysis of our data shows a species-specific link between pregnancy steroid hormone concentration and<jats:italic>L. crispatus<\/jats:italic>abundance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-96339-y","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,13]],"date-time":"2021-09-13T10:04:04Z","timestamp":1631527444000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Lactobacillus crispatus thrives in pregnancy hormonal milieu in a Nigerian patient cohort"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Nkechi Martina","family":"Odogwu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chinedum Amara","family":"Onebunne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Funmilola A.","family":"Ayeni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marina R. 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