Vaginal Microbiota
The role of the vaginal microbiota is to:
- Protect: it prevents colonization by pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
- Regulate pH: it maintains the vaginal environment acidic (pH 3.8–4.5), hostile to pathogens.
- Support the immune system: t stimulates local defenses and keeps inflammation under control.
The vaginal microbiota is composed primarily of Lactobacillus bacteria (especially L. crispatus, L. jensenii, L. gasseri, and L. iners), whose function is to produce:
- lactic acid, to maintain an acidic pH and prevent the growth of other microorganisms.
- bacteriocins (antimicrobial substances)
- hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which has an antibacterial effect.
Factors that influence the balance of the vaginal microbiota include:
- Age and hormones (puberty, pregnancy, menopause)
- Antibiotic use
- Unprotected sexual intercourse
- Improper intimate hygiene (excessive or too aggressive)
- Stress and diet
- Inappropriate clothing (too tight or synthetic fabrics)
When the vaginal microbiota is altered, it is called vaginal dysbiosis, and in this case, lactobacilli decrease, and other microorganisms increase. This can lead to consequences such as bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis, increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy complications (e.g., preterm birth).
A healthy microbiota is supported by proper intimate hygiene (gentle, non-aggressive products), careful use of antibiotics, a balanced diet rich in fiber and probiotics, and the possible use of specific vaginal or oral probiotics.
In short, a balanced vaginal microbiota is a natural ally in protecting women's health.
The vaginal microbiota test is an analysis that allows us to understand the composition of bacteria, fungi, DNA viruses, and parasites (protozoa and metazoa) in the vaginal microbiota. All these microorganisms are identified using DNA sequencing technology, which then allows us to define the Community State Type (CTS) based on the predominance of bacterial species. This allows us to classify the vaginal microbiota and detect the presence of pathobionts (not intended as a diagnosis of disease or an indicator of an ongoing infection), as well as physiological alterations that could indicate the presence of vaginitis/vaginosis.
Furthermore, the analysis provides insight into the metabolic potential of the vaginal microbiota in terms of the production of total lactic acid, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, and the production of biogenic amines such as agmatine, putrescine, spermidine, and cadaverine.
Fungi (Mycetes) can also be identified by this analysis through the bacteria-fungi crosstalk index to assess the contribution of bacteria to possible fungal dysbiosis. Indeed, it often happens that disorders such as candidiasis are not caused by the absolute abundance of the pathogenic fungus but rather by the co-presence of bacterial alterations.
Microbiota analysis through sequencing also highlights DNA viruses associated with human health, including all species of Herpesvirus, Cytomegalovirus, Papillomavirus, etc., as well as parasites associated with human health, such as protozoa like Giardia, Toxoplasma, Blastocystis, and metazoans like Taenia, Filaria, and Entamoeba. The diagnosis of a pathological infection due to an ongoing infection must be made by a doctor: the Microbiota test is NOT diagnostic.
