{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T13:39:57Z","timestamp":1787060397245,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,19]],"date-time":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1674086400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Endocrinol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Modifications in vaginal and endometrial microbiome and microbiota have been associated with fewer implantation rates and poorest pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, its study has emerged as a new biomarker in reproductive medicine. Despite the numerous papers published on probiotic use for vaginal dysbiosis and their actual wide empiric use especially for infertile patients, there is still no clear answer to justify their recommendation. The impact of probiotics on the vaginal or endometrial microbiota has often been investigated under a symptomatic altered vaginal microbial ecosystem, such as bacterial vaginosis. However 50% of women with bacterial vaginosis are asymptomatic. Actual clinical practice guidelines clearly recommend the use of specific antimicrobial agents for the management of symptomatic vaginal infections. Assuming this should be the management as well for an infertile population, what should be the treatment for the 50% non-symptomatic women presenting unfavorable vaginal\/endometrial microbiota? The aim of this review is to assess the capacity of probiotics as a single intervention to alter the feminine genital tract microbiota in non-symptomatic reproductive-aged women.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fendo.2022.1081830","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,19]],"date-time":"2023-01-19T03:18:05Z","timestamp":1674098285000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Can probiotics enhance fertility outcome? Capacity of probiotics as a single intervention to improve the feminine genital tract microbiota in non-symptomatic reproductive-aged women"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Claudia","family":"Blancafort","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joaqu\u00edn","family":"Ll\u00e1cer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-019-1238-8","article-title":"The integrative human microbiome project","volume":"569","author":"Proctor","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1186\/s40168-015-0094-5","article-title":"The vocabulary of microbiome research: A proposal","volume":"3","author":"Marchesi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Microbiome"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1002611107","article-title":"Vaginal microbiome of reproductive-age women","volume":"108","author":"Ravel","year":"2011","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"546","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm11060546","article-title":"The female reproductive tract microbiome-implications for gynecologic cancers and personalized medicine","volume":"11","author":"Rizzo","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Pers Med"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1186\/2049-2618-2-18","article-title":"The vaginal microbiota of pregnant women who subsequently have spontaneous preterm labor and delivery and those with a normal delivery at term","volume":"2","author":"Romero","year":"2014","journal-title":"Microbiome"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"684","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2016.09.075","article-title":"Evidence that the endometrial microbiota has an effect on implantation success or failure","volume":"215","author":"Moreno","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"795","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dew026","article-title":"Abnormal vaginal microbiota may be associated with poor reproductive outcomes: A prospective study in IVF patients","volume":"31","author":"Haahr","year":"2016","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2018.04.041","article-title":"Relevance of assessing the uterine microbiota in infertility","volume":"110","author":"Moreno","year":"2018","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dez065","article-title":"The vaginal microbiome as a predictor for outcome of in vitro fertilization with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection: A prospective study","volume":"34","author":"Koedooder","year":"2019","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rbmo.2020.06.014","article-title":"The reproductive microbiome \u2013 clinical practice recommendations for fertility specialists","volume":"41","author":"Garc\u00eda-Velasco","year":"2020","journal-title":"Reprod BioMedicine Online"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1461","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10071461","article-title":"Vaginal probiotics for reproductive health and related dysbiosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"L\u00f3pez-Moreno","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Clin Med"},{"key":"B12","first-page":"1","article-title":"AEPCC-gu\u00eda: Infecciones del tracto genital inferior","author":"Alsina","year":"2016","journal-title":"Publicaciones AEPCC"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13010162","article-title":"Oral use of lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and l. fermentum RC-14 significantly alters vaginal flora: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 64 healthy women","volume":"35","author":"Reid","year":"2003","journal-title":"FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1472-6483(10)61301-6","article-title":"Does intravaginal probiotic supplementation increase the pregnancy rate in IVF\u2013embryo transfer cycles","volume":"11","author":"Gilboa","year":"2005","journal-title":"Reproductive BioMedicine Online"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2012.05.001","article-title":"Studies on the effects of probiotic lactobacillus mixture given orally on vaginal and rectal colonization and on parameters of vaginal health in women with intermediate vaginal flora","volume":"163","author":"Strus","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/DDDT.S89214","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of a vaginal medicinal product containing three strains of probiotic bacteria: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial","volume":"9","author":"Tomusiak","year":"2015","journal-title":"Drug Des Devel Ther"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00284-016-1085-x","article-title":"Impact of probiotic SYNBIO(\u00ae) administered by vaginal suppositories in promoting vaginal health of apparently healthy women","volume":"73","author":"Verdenelli","year":"2016","journal-title":"Curr Microbiol"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00404-018-4771-z","article-title":"Study on the effects of an oral lactobacilli and lactoferrin complex in women with intermediate vaginal microbiota","volume":"298","author":"Russo","year":"2018","journal-title":"Arch Gynecol Obstet"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3920\/BM2016.0123","article-title":"Potential vaginal probiotics: safety, tolerability and preliminary effectiveness","volume":"10","author":"Rostok","year":"2019","journal-title":"Benef Microbes"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000506802","article-title":"The effect of lactofem oral probiotic capsule on lactobacilli colonization and some vaginal health parameters","volume":"85","author":"Balaghi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gynecol Obstet Invest."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"fiaa084","DOI":"10.1093\/femsec\/fiaa084","article-title":"Effect of oral consumption of capsules containing lactobacillus paracasei LPC-S01 on the vaginal microbiota of healthy adult women: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study","volume":"96","author":"Koirala","year":"2020","journal-title":"FEMS Microbiol Ecol"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13010162","article-title":"Application of ligilactobacillus salivarius CECT5713 to achieve term pregnancies in women with repetitive abortion or infertility of unknown origin by microbiological and immunological modulation of the vaginal ecosystem","volume":"13","author":"Fern\u00e1ndez","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rbmo.2021.06.004","article-title":"Effect of probiotics on vaginal ureaplasma parvum in women suffering from unexplained infertility","volume":"43","author":"Schenk","year":"2021","journal-title":"Reprod BioMed Online"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/apm.13261","article-title":"Vaginal microbiome following orally administered probiotic","volume":"130","author":"Hertz","year":"2022","journal-title":"APMIS"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.2147\/IJWH.S341046","article-title":"Effects of a 10-strain oral probiotic on parameters of vaginal health and microbial community: A pilot clinical study","volume":"14","author":"Martoni","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Womens Health"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0928-8244(02)00465-0","article-title":"S1-guideline on bacterial vaginosis in gynecology and obstetrics: Long version - AWMF guideline, registration no. 015\/028, July 2013 langfassung - AWMF-register Nr.\u2009015\/028, juli 2013","volume":"74","author":"Mendling","year":"2014","journal-title":"Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1002\/rmb2.12250","article-title":"A pilot study and case reports on endometrial microbiota and pregnancy outcome: An analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing among IVF patients, and trial therapeutic intervention for dysbiotic endometrium","volume":"18","author":"Kyono","year":"2019","journal-title":"Reprod Med Biol"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.repbio.2020.07.001","article-title":"Use of a vaginal probiotic suppository and antibiotics to influence the composition of the endometrial microbiota","volume":"20","author":"Kadogami","year":"2020","journal-title":"Reprod Biol septiembre"},{"key":"B29","first-page":"deac104.024","article-title":"Probiotic treatment with specific lactobacilli does not improve an unfavorable vaginal microbiota prior to fertility treatment\u2014A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial","volume":"37","author":"Jepsen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Endo"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-019-0723-4","article-title":"Probiotics and vaginal microecology: Fact or fancy","volume":"19","author":"Buggio","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Women\u2019s Health"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Endocrinology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fendo.2022.1081830\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,19]],"date-time":"2023-01-19T03:18:07Z","timestamp":1674098287000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fendo.2022.1081830\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,19]]},"references-count":30,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fendo.2022.1081830"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fendo.2022.1081830","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-2392"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-2392","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,19]]},"article-number":"1081830"}}