{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus persistence following application of a live biotherapeutic product: colonization phenotypes and genital immune impact.
{Author}: Armstrong E;Hemmerling A;Miller S;Huibner S;Kulikova M;Crawford E;Castañeda GR;Coburn B;Cohen CR;Kaul R;
{Journal}: Microbiome
{Volume}: 12
{Issue}: 1
{Year}: 2024 Jun 21
{Factor}: 16.837
{DOI}: 10.1186/s40168-024-01828-7
{Abstract}: BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) increases HIV acquisition risk, potentially by eliciting genital inflammation. After BV treatment, the vaginal administration of LACTIN-V, a live biotherapeutic containing the Lactobacillus crispatus strain CTV-05, reduced BV recurrence and vaginal inflammation; however, 3 months after product cessation, CTV-05 colonization was only sustained in 48% of participants.
RESULTS: This nested sub-study in 32 participants receiving LACTIN-V finds that 72% (23/32) demonstrate clinically relevant colonization (CTV-05 absolute abundance > 106 CFU/mL) during at least one visit while 28% (9/32) of women demonstrate colonization resistance, even during product administration. Immediately prior to LACTIN-V administration, the colonization-resistant group exhibited elevated vaginal microbiota diversity. During LACTIN-V administration, colonization resistance was associated with elevated vaginal markers of epithelial disruption and reduced chemokines, possibly due to elevated absolute abundance of BV-associated species and reduced L. crispatus. Colonization permissive women were stratified into sustained and transient colonization groups (31% and 41% of participants, respectively) based on CTV-05 colonization after cessation of product administration. These groups also exhibited distinct genital immune profiles during LACTIN-V administration.
CONCLUSIONS: The genital immune impact of LACTIN-V may be contingent on the CTV-05 colonization phenotype, which is in turn partially dependent on the success of BV clearance prior to LACTIN-V administration.