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Table 2 Clinical correlates of VMB clusters.

From: Correlates of the molecular vaginal microbiota composition of African women

Correlates

KRST-I n (%) N = 19

KRST-II n (%) N = 136

KRST-pIII-V n (%) N = 53

p value*

Self reported symptoms at screening

Vaginal discharge reported:

    

 No

 

18 (8.9)

135 (66.5)

50 (24.6)

0.05

 Yes

 

1 (20.0)

1 (20.0)

3 (60.0)

 

Clinician observed findings at screening

Cervical mucusab†:

    

 No

 

5 (4.2)

82 (69.5)

31 (26.3)

0.04

 Mild

 

11 (14.1)

48 (61.5)

19 (24.4)

 

 Abundant

 

2 (28.6)

3 (42.9)

2 (28.6)

 

Cervical and/or vaginal epithelial abnormalities:

    

 No

 

15 (8.0)

124 (66.3)

48 (25.7)

0.26

 Yes

 

4 (19.0)

12 (57.1)

5 (23.8)

 

Ectopy:

    

 No

 

11 (9.4)

73 (62.4)

33 (28.2)

0.57

 Yes

 

8 (8.8)

63 (69.2)

20 (22)

 

Any colposcopy finding?:

    

 No

 

17 (9.4)

119 (65.7)

45 (24.9)

0.90

 Yes

 

2 (7.4)

17 (63.0)

8 (29.6)

 

Laboratory-confirmed reproductive and urinary tract infections

HIV serology

    

 Negative

 

19 (100.0)

128 (94.8)

50 (94.3)

0.78

 Positive

 

0 (0.0)

7 (5.2)

3 (5.7)

Trend: 0.44

HSV-2 serology

    

 Negative

 

15 (78.9)

85 (62.5)

33 (62.3)

0.36

 Positive

 

4 (21.1)

51 (37.5)

20 (37.7)

Trend: 034

Bacterial STIc

    

 Negative

 

17 (94.4)

116 (83.3)

41 (77.4)

0.20

 Positive

 

1 (5.6)

20 (14.7)

12 (22.6)

Trend: 0.07

BV by Nugent score

    

 0-3

 

15 (93.8)

93 (76.2)

2 (4.2)

<0.01

 4-6

 

1 (6.2)

15 (12.3)

3 (6.3)

 

 7-10

 

0 (0.0)

14 (11.5)

43 (89.6)

 

BV by Amsel criteria

    

 Negative

 

18 (94.7)

128 (94.1)

37 (69.8)

<0.01

 Positive

 

1 (5.3)

8 (5.9)

16 (30.2)

 

Candidiasis on wet mountd

    

 Negative

 

16 (84.2)

113 (83.1)

50 (94.3)

0.11

 Positive

 

3 (15.8)

23 (16.9)

3 (5.7)

Trend: 0.09

Urinary tract infection by diptstick test

    

 Negative

 

4 (100.0)

4 (44.4)

132 (76.3)

0.06

 Positive

 

0 (0.0)

5 (55.6)

41 (23.7)

 

Treatment in the 14 days prior to enrollment

Any systemic antibioticsd:

    

 No

 

18 (10.5)

115 (66.9)

39 (22.7)

0.10

 Yes

 

1 (2.8)

21 (58.3)

14 (38.9)

 

Any vaginal antibiotics: No

    

 No

 

19 (9.2)

136 (66)

51 (24.8)

0.12

 Yes

 

0 (0)

0 (0)

2 (100)

 

Bacterial vaginosis requiring treatment:

    

 No

 

19 (9.7)

130 (66.3)

47 (24.0)

0.16

 Yes

 

0 (0)

6 (50.0)

6 (50.0)

 

Candidiasis requiring treatmente:

    

 No

 

17 (9.5)

116 (64.8)

46 (25.7)

0.10

 Yes

 

0 (0)

10 (100)

0 (0)

 
  1. Abbreviations:KRST Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania.
  2. *Fisher’s exact test, Trend = Chi-squared test for trend.
  3. a4/208 values missing.
  4. bNo association (p = 0.95) was found when the data were analyzed with a binary outcome (i.e. clusters KRST-I and KRST-II combined vs. cluster KRST-pIII-V).
  5. cBacterial STIs includes syphilis (by serology), chlamydia and gonorrhea (by PCR), and trichomoniasis (by InPouch culture test).
  6. dStronger evidence of association was observed when data were analyzed with a binary outcome (i.e. clusters KRST-I and II combined vs. cluster KRST-pIII-V) (p = 0.06) and when pregnant women and Tanzanian women (phase in the menstrual cycle at the time of sampling not known) were excluded (p = 0.04).
  7. e19/208 values missing.
  8. †Women who had mild/moderate cervical mucus (OR = 0.27; 95% CI 0.09, 0.81) and women who had abundant cervical mucus (OR = 0.09; 95% CI 0.01, 0.68) were more likely to belong to cluster KRST-II vs. KRST-I compared to women with no cervical mucus. Women who had mild cervical mucus compared to no cervical mucus were less likely to belong to cluster KRST-pIII-V vs. KRST-I (OR = 0.28; 95% CI 0.08, 0.93), while there was no statistically significant difference between having abundant cervical mucus and no cervical mucus.
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BMC Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1471-2334

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