Vaginal Glycogen, Not Estradiol, Is Associated With Vaginal Bacterial Community Composition in Black Adolescent Women

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterize the composition of vaginal bacterial communities in a cohort of Black adolescent women and to determine how the species composition of these communities correlate with levels of estradiol, glycogen, and stress. Methods Twenty-one Black adolescent women were sampled longitudinally. The composition of their vaginal communities was determined by analyzing the sequences of the Vl-V3 region of l6S rRNA genes and they were grouped based on patterns in species abundances. The relationships between estradiol, glycogen, psychosocial stress, and the composition of these communities were assessed. Results Vaginal communities could be distinguished and classified into three groups that differed in the abundances of Lactobacillus. Eighty-one percent of study participants had communities dominated by species of Lactobacillus. Glycogen levels were higher in communities dominated by one or multiple species of Lactobacillus as compared to those having low proportions of Lactobacillus. Estradiol and psychosocial stress measurements did not differ among the three groups, while estradiol and glycogen exhibited a weak positive relationship that was not statistically significant. Conclusions The findings of this pilot study suggest that glycogen levels are associated with vaginal community composition in young Black women; however, estradiol and psychosocial stress are not. Additionally, the results suggest there is no simple relationship between levels of estradiol and the production of vaginal glycogen.