{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,3]],"date-time":"2026-10-03T18:57:47Z","timestamp":1791053867937,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,8]],"date-time":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1599523200000},"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. Physiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) often have a history of infertility and poor pregnancy outcome. The character of the lower genital tract (LGT) microbiome of these patients is still unknown. We collected both vaginal and cervical canal swabs from 47 PCOS patients (diagnosed by the Rotterdam Criteria) and 50 healthy reproductive-aged controls in this study. Variable regions 3\u20134 (V3\u20134) were sequenced and analyzed. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) abundance was noted for all samples. Taxa that discriminated between PCOS and healthy women was calculated by linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEFSe). Results from 97 paired vaginal and cervical canal samples collected from 97 women [mean age 30 (\u00b14 years)] were available for analysis. Using the Rotterdam Criteria, 47 women were diagnosed with PCOS (PCOS, <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 47; control, <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 50). There was no significant difference between cervical canal microbiome and vaginal microbiome from the same individual, however, <jats:italic>Lactobacillus<\/jats:italic> spp. was less abundant in both vaginal and cervical canal microbiome of PCOS patients. Several non-<jats:italic>Lactobacillus<\/jats:italic> taxa including <jats:italic>Gardnerella_vaginalis_00703mash<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Prevotella_9_other<\/jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Mycoplasma hominis<\/jats:italic>, were more abundant in the LGT microbiota of PCOS patients. There is a difference between the microorganism in the LGT of patients with PCOS and healthy reproductive-aged women.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2020.01108","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,8]],"date-time":"2020-09-08T06:58:33Z","timestamp":1599548313000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":51,"title":["Comparative Analysis of Lower Genital Tract Microbiome Between PCOS and Healthy Women"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Yaoyao","family":"Tu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guangyong","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guolian","family":"Ding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanting","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ji","family":"Xi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yingzhou","family":"Ge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hangchao","family":"Gu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yingyu","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianzhong","family":"Sheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinmei","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Li","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hefeng","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1111\/1471-0528.15972","article-title":"The association between vaginal bacterial composition and miscarriage: a nested case-control study.","volume":"127","author":"Al-Memar","year":"2019","journal-title":"BJOG"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chom.2018.01.013","article-title":"Cervicovaginal microbiota and reproductive health: the virtue of simplicity.","volume":"23","author":"Anahtar","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cell Host Microbe"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1067\/mob.2001.115867","article-title":"Defense factors of vaginal lactobacilli.","volume":"185","author":"Aroutcheva","year":"2001","journal-title":"Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1007\/s10815-017-1047-7","article-title":"Polycystic ovary syndrome throughout a woman\u2019s life.","volume":"35","author":"Bellver","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Assist. Reprod. Genet."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"393","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmy012","article-title":"How uterine microbiota might be responsible for a receptive, fertile endometrium.","volume":"24","author":"Benner","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod. Update"},{"key":"B6","first-page":"371","article-title":"Vaginal microbiome.","volume":"83","author":"Buchta","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ceska Gynekol."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-017-00901-0","article-title":"The microbiota continuum along the female reproductive tract and its relation to uterine-related diseases.","volume":"8","author":"Chen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2019.12.035","article-title":"Bacterial vaginosis-A brief synopsis of the literature.","volume":"245","author":"Coudray","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0213975","article-title":"Defining characteristics of genital health in South African adolescent girls and young women at high risk for HIV infection.","volume":"14","author":"Dabee","year":"2019","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B10","first-page":"34","article-title":"HPV\/Chlamydia trachomatis co-infection: metagenomic analysis of cervical microbiota in asymptomatic women.","volume":"41","author":"Di Pietro","year":"2018","journal-title":"New Microbiol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1012","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-019-0450-2","article-title":"The vaginal microbiome and preterm birth.","volume":"25","author":"Fettweis","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat. Med."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1341","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2015.10.021","article-title":"Introduction: microbiome in human reproduction.","volume":"104","author":"Franasiak","year":"2015","journal-title":"Fertil. Steril."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/scitranslmed.3003605","article-title":"Temporal dynamics of the human vaginal microbiota.","volume":"4","author":"Gajer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sci. Transl. Med."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0096659","article-title":"Lactobacillus crispatus dominant vaginal microbiome is associated with inhibitory activity of female genital tract secretions against Escherichia coli.","volume":"9","author":"Ghartey","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2019.103696","article-title":"Crosstalk between vaginal microbiome and female health: a review.","volume":"136","author":"Gupta","year":"2019","journal-title":"Microb. Pathog."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2016.01.040","article-title":"Molecular detection of intrauterine microbial colonization in women with endometriosis.","volume":"199","author":"Khan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1042","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":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"707.e1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2019.05.015","article-title":"Endometrial microbiota in infertile women with and without chronic endometritis as diagnosed using a quantitative and reference range-based method.","volume":"112","author":"Liu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Fertil. Steril."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-035186","article-title":"Impact of preconception vaginal microbiota on women\u2019s risk of spontaneous preterm birth: protocol for a prospective case-cohort study.","volume":"10","author":"Lokken","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/2049-2618-1-12","article-title":"Comparative meta-RNA-seq of the vaginal microbiota and differential expression by Lactobacillus iners in health and dysbiosis.","volume":"1","author":"Macklaim","year":"2013","journal-title":"Microbiome"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0102467","article-title":"Free glycogen in vaginal fluids is associated with Lactobacillus colonization and low vaginal pH.","volume":"9","author":"Mirmonsef","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2014.11.043","article-title":"Colonization of the upper genital tract by vaginal bacterial species in nonpregnant women.","volume":"212","author":"Mitchell","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2017.05.034","article-title":"Endometrial microbiota\u2014new player in town.","volume":"108","author":"Moreno","year":"2017","journal-title":"Fertil. Steril."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.maturitas.2016.05.015","article-title":"Menopause and the vaginal microbiome.","volume":"91","author":"Muhleisen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Maturitas"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1159\/000455207","article-title":"The pregnancy microbiome.","volume":"88","author":"Newman","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nestle Nutr. Inst. Workshop Ser."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2246","DOI":"10.1056\/nejmra1808418","article-title":"Bacterial vaginosis and desquamative inflammatory vaginitis.","volume":"379","author":"Paavonen","year":"2018","journal-title":"New Engl. J. Med."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsbmb.2018.04.008","article-title":"Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an inflammatory, systemic, lifestyle endocrinopathy.","volume":"182","author":"Patel","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Steroid. Biochem. Mol. Biol."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1016\/j.placenta.2019.03.011","article-title":"The influence of the vaginal microbiota on preterm birth: a systematic review and recommendations for a minimum dataset for future research.","volume":"79","author":"Peelen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Placenta"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"982","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tim.2019.07.006","article-title":"Host-pathogen interactions during female genital tract infections.","volume":"27","author":"Pekmezovic","year":"2019","journal-title":"Trends Microbiol."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0025082","article-title":"The complex vaginal flora of West African women with bacterial vaginosis.","volume":"6","author":"Pepin","year":"2011","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.siny.2011.08.006","article-title":"Microbiota of the upper and lower genital tract.","volume":"17","author":"Rampersaud","year":"2012","journal-title":"Semin. Fetal Neonatal. Med."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4680","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1002611107","article-title":"Vaginal microbiome of reproductive-age women.","volume":"108","author":"Ravel","year":"2010","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fgene.2019.00627","article-title":"Multitable methods for microbiome data integration.","volume":"10","author":"Sankaran","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Genet."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1366","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jix088","article-title":"Distinct effects of the cervicovaginal microbiota and herpes simplex type 2 infection on female genital tract immunology.","volume":"215","author":"Shannon","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0033-1361821","article-title":"Potential influence of the microbiome on infertility and assisted reproductive technology.","volume":"32","author":"Sirota","year":"2014","journal-title":"Semin. Reprod. Med."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.22395","article-title":"The primate vaginal microbiome: comparative context and implications for human health and disease.","volume":"152","author":"Stumpf","year":"2013","journal-title":"Am. J. Phys. Anthropol."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2164","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajpath.2018.06.016","article-title":"Ascending vaginal infection using bioluminescent bacteria evokes intrauterine inflammation, preterm birth, and neonatal brain injury in pregnant mice.","volume":"188","author":"Suff","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Pathol."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0053997","article-title":"Presence of a polymicrobial endometrial biofilm in patients with bacterial vaginosis.","volume":"8","author":"Swidsinski","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tem.2018.11.001","article-title":"Sex, microbes, and polycystic ovary syndrome.","volume":"30","author":"Thackray","year":"2019","journal-title":"Trends Endocrinol. Metab."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms20020266","article-title":"Interplay among vaginal microbiome, immune response and sexually transmitted viral infections.","volume":"20","author":"Torcia","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Mol. Sci."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1502","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2017-02153","article-title":"Gut microbial diversity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome correlates with hyperandrogenism.","volume":"103","author":"Torres","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab."},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mcna.2014.09.003","article-title":"Polycystic ovarian syndrome.","volume":"99","author":"Trikudanathan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Med. Clin. North Am."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"168","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2019.12.005","article-title":"Female genital tract microbiota affecting the risk of preterm birth: what do we know so far? A review.","volume":"245","author":"Tsonis","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics9020059","article-title":"Bacterial biofilm and its role in the pathogenesis of disease.","volume":"9","author":"Vestby","year":"2020","journal-title":"Antibiotics"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4743","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1418216112","article-title":"Alternative splicing of the androgen receptor in polycystic ovary syndrome.","volume":"112","author":"Wang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A."},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmu065","article-title":"Antimicrobial peptides in the female reproductive tract: a critical component of the mucosal immune barrier with physiological and clinical implications.","volume":"21","author":"Yarbrough","year":"2015","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod. Update"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.j831","article-title":"The role of the microbiome in human health and disease: an introduction for clinicians.","volume":"356","author":"Young","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ"}],"updated-by":[{"DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2020.635088","type":"corrigendum","label":"Corrigendum","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,18]],"date-time":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1610928000000}}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Physiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2020.01108\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,18]],"date-time":"2021-01-18T06:05:15Z","timestamp":1610949915000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2020.01108\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,8]]},"references-count":47,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fphys.2020.01108"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fphys.2020.01108","relation":{"corrigendum":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.3389\/fphys.2020.635088","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["1664-042X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-042X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,8]]},"article-number":"1108"}}