- 2021-11
- Minerva obstetrics and gynecology 73(5)
- Francesco DI Pierro
- Anna A Criscuolo
- Anna Dei Giudici
- Roberto Senatori
- Francesco Sesti
- Marco Ciotti
- Emilio Piccione
Study Design
- Type
- Clinical Trial
- Sample size
- n = 35
- Population
- 35 HPV-positive women who mostly (N.=24) demonstrated CST IV status, with the other individuals categorized as having either CST III (N.=10) or CST II (N.=1) microbiotas
- Methods
- open, non-controlled study, 90 days of oral treatment with a probiotic (L. crispatus M247)
- Blinding
- Open-label
- Duration
- 90 days
- Funding
- Unclear
Background
Vaginal microbiotas can be clustered into five different possible categories (CST I to V), according to their bacterial dominance. In CST I, the dominance of Lactobacillus crispatus seems to correlate with better vaginal health and with a lower incidence of sine causa infertility, preterm delivery, bacterial vaginosis, and viral (including human papillomavirus; HPV) infection. According to the same method of classifying the vaginal microbiome, CST IV (non-Lactobacillus-dominated) demonstrates a higher incidence of disorders.Methods
In an open, non-controlled study, we enrolled 35 HPV-positive women who mostly (N.=24) demonstrated CST IV status, with the other individuals categorized as having either CST III (N.=10) or CST II (N.=1) microbiotas.Results
After 90 days of oral treatment with a probiotic (L. crispatus M247) we observed a reduction of approximately 70% in HPV positivity and a significant change in CST status with 94% of women now classified as CST I.Conclusions
Despite the limitations of our study, it is the first demonstration that it is possible to intervene orally with an L. crispatus probiotic to bring about a change in CST status and, in parallel, increased HPV clearance.