dc.description.abstract | Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a recurrent condition that is associated with a range of negative outcomes,
including the acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted diseases,
preterm births, and pelvic inflammatory disease. In contrast to the Lactobacillus-dominated normal
vaginal microbiota, BV is characterized by a lack of lactobacilli and an abundance of anaerobic and
gram-negative organisms, including Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae. To date, the laboratory
diagnosis of BV has relied upon the fulfillment of criteria determined by microscopic observation of
Gram-stained vaginal swabs. We describe a molecular-based method for the easy determination of the
species profile within the vaginal microbiota based on the amplification of the chaperonin-60 genes of all
bacteria present in the swab and hybridization of the amplicon to species-specific oligonucleotide-coupled
fluorescent beads that are identified by flow cytometry with a Luminex instrument. We designed a nineplex
Luminex array for characterization of the vaginal microbiota and applied it to the analysis of vaginal
swabs from individuals from Africa and North America. Using the presence of A. vaginae or G. vaginalis,
or both, as the defining criterion for BV, we found that the method was highly specific and sensitive for
the diagnosis of BV using microscopy as a gold standard | en |