P361 Vaginal microbiome profiling in Indian women with and without bacterial vaginosis

Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common condition among reproductive age women is associated with an imbalance of vaginal microbiota composition. It has been implicated in numerous adverse reproductive outcomes and increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. The vaginal ecology varies widely among women from various geographic and ethnic backgrounds. Our study aimed to explore the spectrum of bacterial communities in Indian women with and without BV and the association of individual species with Amsel’s clinical diagnostic criteria. Methods 16S rRNA gene PCR and V3-V4 sequencing were performed on vaginal swabs from 38 women with BV (mean age= 30.84 years, Nugent score ≥7) and 16 healthy controls (mean age= 28.25 years, Nugent score≤3). BV was assessed by Amsel’s clinical criteria and confirmed by Nugent scoring of Gram stained vaginal smears. Taxonomic classification was performed using SILVA reference database. Results The vaginal community composition of women with BV was highly heterogeneous and characterized by species diversity and richness. Women with BV harbored high concentrations of Gardnerella vaginalis (>99% women), Atopobium spp (81.6%), Prevotella timonensis (73.7%), Sneathia amnii (73.7%) and Sneathia sanguinegens (63.2%). On the contrary, in healthy women with no evident symptoms of vaginitis, Lactobacillus species dominated the vaginal flora wherein L iners and L gasseri were the two most frequently detected species. Interestingly, L iners was noted in all women, irrespective of their BV status. The presence of Atopobium spp., Sneathia spp., P timonensis and Eggerthella spp., were strongly associated with all four clinical signs defined by Amsel’s criteria. Conclusion Lactobacillus species including L iners and L gasseri are the predominant vaginal species found in the vaginal tract of Indian women of reproductive age. A heterogeneous vaginal community marked by the presence of G vaginalis, Sneathia spp., Atopobium spp., Prevotella spp., Eggerthella spp., is associated with BV and its clinical symptoms.