Postpartum women often experience stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and vaginal microbial dysbiosis, which seriously affect women's physical and mental health. Understanding the relationship between SUI and vaginal microbiota composition may help to prevent vaginal diseases, but research on the potential association between these conditions is limited.
This study employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to explore the association between SUI and vaginal dysbiosis. In terms of the vaginal microbiota, both species richness and evenness were significantly higher in the SUI group. Additionally, the results of NMDS and species composition indicated that there were differences in the composition of the vaginal microbiota between the two groups. Specifically, compared to postpartum women without SUI (Non-SUI), the relative abundance of bacteria associated with bacterial dysbiosis, such as Streptococcus, Prevotella, Dialister, and Veillonella, showed an increase, while the relative abundance of Lactobacillus decreased in SUI patients. Furthermore, the vaginal microbial co-occurrence network of SUI patients displayed higher connectivity, complexity, and clustering.
The study highlights the role of Lactobacillus in maintaining vaginal microbial homeostasis. It found a correlation between SUI and vaginal microbiota, indicating an increased risk of vaginal dysbiosis. The findings could enhance our understanding of the relationship between SUI and vaginal dysbiosis in postpartum women, providing valuable insights for preventing bacterial vaginal diseases and improving women's health.
BMC microbiology. 2024 Apr 04*** epublish ***
Man Zhang, Yanhua Zhou, Siqi Yao, Yiming Zhao, Syeda Sundas Batool, Jing Huang, Li Jiang, Dayu Yan, Wenguang Yan, Zheng Yu
Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China., Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China., Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China., Department of Gynecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China., Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China. ., Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .