Does Chlamydia trachomatis Infection and Its Treatment Disturb the Vaginal Microbiome?

Microbiota in women with chlamydial infection were markedly different from those in uninfected women — and remained altered after azithromycin therapy.

The vaginal microbiome represents a woman's primary defense against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Researchers sought to characterize this microbiome in women with Chlamydia trachomatis infection and to determine whether it was altered by azithromycin therapy. Vaginal swabs were obtained in 149 women with chlamydial genital infection prior to receiving azithromycin and again after antibiotic treatment; a control group consisted of 99 women from the same clinic without chlamydial infection. Whole genome sequencing was performed in all participants. To simplify analysis, the vaginal microbiome was categorized into bacterial community-state types (CSTs).

Predominance of certain CSTs significantly differed in women with chlamydial infec…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Does Chlamydia trachomatis Infection and Its Treatment Disturb the Vaginal Microbiome?

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Reviewing Author