Features of vaginal microbiota in women at different stages of postmenopause

Abstract

Aim. To study the dynamics of the vaginal microflora depending on the postmenopausal stage according to STRAW+10. Materials and methods. After obtaining voluntary informed consent from each patient and determining eligibility criteria, we conducted a survey of 139 postmenopausal women. Participants were divided into 3 groups depending on the duration of postmenopause in accordance with the stages of aging of the reproductive system STRAW+10. Femoflor 16 real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the state of the vaginal microbiome. Results. After menopause in women in the group of obligate aerobes Lactobacillus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were completely replaced by Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp., which increased in number. A significant depletion of the composition occurred in the group of obligate anaerobes. If at stages +1a and b this group is almost equally represented by 5 communities of microorganisms (Gardnerella vaginalis + Prevotella bivia + Porphyromonas and Peptostreptococcus spp., Megasphaera spp. + Veillonella spp. + Dialister spp., Mobiluncus spp. + Corynebacterium spp., Lachnobacterium spp. + Clostridium spp.), then only 3 groups prevailed in the total bacterial mass at the +1c stage (G. vaginalis + P. bivia + Porphyromonas and Peptostreptococcus spp., Megasphaera spp. + Veillonella spp. + Dialister spp., Mobiluncus spp + Corynebacterium spp.). At the postmenopausal stage +2, the total bacterial mass consisted of only 2 groups of microorganisms: G. vaginalis + P. bivia + Porphyromonas and Peptostreptococcus spp. Conclusion. Thus, the main result of age-related changes in the vaginal microflora was the impoverishment of the composition of its microbiome.

Keywords

• vaginal microbiota
• postmenopause