{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T07:15:39Z","timestamp":1792134939692,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,5]],"date-time":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1649116800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100017415","name":"Peking University First Hospital","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100017415","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell Dev. Biol."],"abstract":"\n Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that brings life-long and psychological distress to patients. It remains unclear whether this condition is related to changes in the skin microbial community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the compositional characteristics of the vulvar skin microbiota between VLS patients and asymptomatic postmenopausal women. We included 60 cases of postmenopausal patients in the outpatient vulvar clinic of Peking University First Hospital from August 2020 to October 2020. Thirty-one patients were diagnosed with VLS by vulvar skin biopsy (VLS group), while 29 women were asymptomatic volunteers (control group). DNA was extracted from vulvar skin swabs of the VLS and control groups. The V3-V4 fragments of 16S rRNA were targeted for high-throughput sequencing and gene sequence analysis. The sequencing results were analysed by\n \u03b1<\/jats:italic>\n diversity,\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n diversity, species composition, LEfSe analysis to compare the compositional differences of the vulvar skin microbiota between the two groups. Our study revealed that at the phylum level, patients with VLS had a lower relative abundance of Firmicutes (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.0001) and a higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria than the control group (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.0001). At the genus level,\n Lactobacillus<\/jats:italic>\n spp. accounted for the largest proportion of the microflora in the asymptomatic controls, while the proportion of\n Prevotella<\/jats:italic>\n spp. in the VLS group was the highest. In the VLS group, the relative abundance of\n Finegoldia<\/jats:italic>\n spp.,\n Ralstonia<\/jats:italic>\n spp.,\n Peptoniphilus<\/jats:italic>\n spp.,\n Anaerococcus<\/jats:italic>\n spp.,\n Campylobacter<\/jats:italic>\n spp.,\n Providencia<\/jats:italic>\n spp.\n Kelbsiella<\/jats:italic>\n spp.,\n Ezakiella<\/jats:italic>\n spp., and\n Escherichia-Shigella<\/jats:italic>\n spp. was significantly increased compared with the control group. Although there was no significant difference in the\n \u03b1<\/jats:italic>\n diversity of the vulvar skin microbiota, the\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n diversity differed significantly between the two groups.\n <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcell.2022.842031","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,4]],"date-time":"2022-04-04T04:56:39Z","timestamp":1649048199000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Analysis of the Vulvar Skin Microbiota in Asymptomatic Women and Patients With Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus Based on 16S rRNA Sequencing"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Xiaoxiao","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yingying","family":"Zhuo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yunlu","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongwu","family":"Wen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Changji","family":"Xiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.1099\/jmm.0.46607-0","article-title":"Preliminary Characterization of the normal Microbiota of the Human Vulva Using Cultivation-independent Methods","volume":"56","author":"Brown","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Med. Microbiol."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics9020055","article-title":"A 28 Day Clinical Assessment of a Lactic Acid-Containing Antimicrobial Intimate Gel Wash Formulation on Skin Tolerance and Impact on the Vulvar Microbiome","volume":"9","author":"Bruning","year":"2020","journal-title":"Antibiotics"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro.2017.157","article-title":"The Human Skin Microbiome","volume":"16","author":"Byrd","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Microbiol."},{"key":"B4","first-page":"301","article-title":"Lichen Sclerosus and Squamous Hyperplasia of the Vulva. A Clinical Study of Medical Treatment","volume":"36","author":"Cattaneo","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Reprod. Med."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0245243","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0245243","article-title":"Potential Role of the Skin and Gut Microbiota in Premenarchal Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: A Pilot Case-Control Study","volume":"16","author":"Chattopadhyay","year":"2021","journal-title":"PloS one"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1177\/1745505717731011","article-title":"Role of Female Intimate hygiene in Vulvovaginal Health: Global hygiene Practices and Product Usage","volume":"13","author":"Chen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Womens Health (Lond Engl."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1694","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1177486","article-title":"Bacterial Community Variation in Human Body Habitats across Space and Time","volume":"326","author":"Costello","year":"2009","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"B8","first-page":"300","article-title":"Microbiology of Specialized Skin: the Vulva","volume":"9","author":"Elsner","year":"","journal-title":"Semin. Dermatol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.2340\/0001555570105109","article-title":"The Effect of Prolonged Drying on Transepidermal Water Loss, Capacitance and pH of Human Vulvar and Forearm Skin","volume":"70","author":"Elsner","year":"","journal-title":"Acta Derm Venereol."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijwd.2017.02.017","article-title":"Lichenoid Vulvar Disease: A Review","volume":"3","author":"Fruchter","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. women's Dermatol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1190","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1171700","article-title":"Topographical and Temporal Diversity of the Human Skin Microbiome","volume":"324","author":"Grice","year":"2009","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1990","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2012.140064","article-title":"Bacterial Pathogens Associated with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, France","volume":"20","author":"Guet-Revillet","year":"2014","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1025","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2013.08.006","article-title":"Potential Role of Microorganisms in the Pathogenesis of Rosacea","volume":"69","author":"Holmes","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"a","DOI":"10.1111\/2049-632X.12197","article-title":"The Bacterial Microbiome in Paired Vaginal and Vestibular Samples from Women with Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome","volume":"72","author":"Jayaram","year":"2014","journal-title":"Pathog. Dis."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"290","DOI":"10.1097\/LGT.0000000000000523","article-title":"Features of the Vaginal and Vestibular Microbioma in Patients with Vestibulodynia: A Case-Control Study","volume":"24","author":"Murina","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Low Genit Tract Dis."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eaah4680","DOI":"10.1126\/scitranslmed.aah4680","article-title":"Antimicrobials from Human Skin Commensal Bacteria Protect against Staphylococcus aureus and Are Deficient in Atopic Dermatitis","volume":"9","author":"Nakatsuji","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sci. Transl Med."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2568","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9122568","article-title":"The Human Vulvar Microbiome: A Systematic Review","volume":"9","author":"Pagan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.7883\/yoken.64.76","article-title":"Influence of Menstruation on the Microbiota of Healthy Women's Labia Minora as Analyzed Using a 16S rRNA Gene-Based Clone Library Method","volume":"64","author":"Shiraishi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Jpn. J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.3899\/jrheum.180133","article-title":"The Microbiome in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: The Skin Perspective","volume":"94","author":"Thio","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Rheumatol."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/s12866-019-1391-0","article-title":"Comparative Study of Vulva and Abdominal Skin Microbiota of Healthy Females with High and Average BMI","volume":"19","author":"Vongsa","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Microbiol."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1112","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.19315","article-title":"Bacterial and Fungal Microbiome Characterization in Patients with Rosacea and Healthy Controls","volume":"183","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Br. J. Dermatol."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1111\/ijd.15252","article-title":"Balanopreputial Sac and Urine Microbiota in Patients with Male Genital Lichen Sclerosus","volume":"60","author":"Watchorn","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Dermatol."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gore.2017.03.003","article-title":"Anogenital Lichen Sclerosus: Change of Tissue Position as Pathogenetic Factor","volume":"20","author":"Wolf","year":"2017","journal-title":"Gynecol. Oncol. Rep."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fcell.2022.842031\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,19]],"date-time":"2023-11-19T11:13:03Z","timestamp":1700392383000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fcell.2022.842031\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,5]]},"references-count":23,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fcell.2022.842031"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fcell.2022.842031","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-634X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-634X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,5]]},"article-number":"842031"}}