Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
PLoS One. 2021 Dec 2;16(12):e0260753. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260753. eCollection 2021.
To compare the cervicovaginal levels of human beta defensin (hBD)-1, 2 and 3 of women according to the status of Nugent-defined bacterial vaginosis (BV).
A total of 634 women of reproductive age were included in the study. Participants were equally distributed in two groups: according to the classification of vaginal smears according to Nugent criteria in normal (scores 0 to 3) and BV (scores ≥7). Cervicovaginal fluid samples were used for measurements of hBDs1, 2 and 3 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of each hBD were compared between the two study groups using Mann-Whitney test, with p-value <0.05 considered as significant. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated for sociodemographic variables and hBD1-3 levels associated with BV a multivariable analysis. Correlation between Nugent score and measured levels of hBDs1-3 were calculated using Spearman's test.
Cervicovaginal fluids from women with BV showed lower levels of hBD-1 [median 2,400.00 pg/mL (0-27,800.00); p<0.0001], hBD-2 [5,600.00 pg/mL (0-45,800.00); p<0.0001] and hBD-3 [1,600.00 pg/mL (0-81,700.00); p = 0.012] when compared to optimal microbiota [hBD-1: [median 3,400.00 pg/mL (0-35,600.00), hBD-2: 12,300.00 pg/mL (0-95,300.00) and hBD-3: 3,000.00 pg/mL (0-64,300.00), respectively]. Multivariable analysis showed that lower levels of hBD-1 (OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.46-2.87), hBD-2 (OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.32-2.60) and hBD-3 (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.37-2.64) were independently associated BV. Significant negative correlations were observed between Nugent scores and cervicovaginal levels of hBD-1 (Spearman's rho = -0.2118; p = 0.0001) and hBD-2 (*Spearman's rho = -0.2117; p = 0.0001).
Bacterial vaginosis is associated with lower cervicovaginal levels of hBDs1-3 in reproductive-aged women.
比较根据努金（Nugent）定义的细菌性阴道病（BV）状态，女性宫颈阴道分泌物中人β防御素（hBD）-1、-2 和-3 的水平。
共有 634 名育龄妇女纳入研究。参与者分为两组：根据阴道涂片根据努金标准的分类，正常（评分 0-3）和 BV（评分≥7）。使用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）测量宫颈阴道液中 hBDs1、-2 和-3 的水平。使用曼-惠特尼检验比较两组之间的 hBD 水平，p 值<0.05 认为有统计学意义。使用多变量分析计算与 BV 相关的社会人口统计学变量和 hBD1-3 水平的优势比（OR）和 95%置信区间（95%CI）。使用 Spearman 检验计算 Nugent 评分与测量的 hBDs1-3 之间的相关性。
与最佳微生物群相比，BV 女性的宫颈阴道分泌物中 hBD-1[中位数 2,400.00 pg/mL（0-27,800.00）；p<0.0001]、hBD-2[5,600.00 pg/mL（0-45,800.00）；p<0.0001]和 hBD-3[1,600.00 pg/mL（0-81,700.00）；p = 0.012]水平较低。多变量分析显示，hBD-1 水平较低（OR：2.05；95%CI：1.46-2.87）、hBD-2（OR：1.85；95%CI：1.32-2.60）和 hBD-3（OR：1.90；95%CI：1.37-2.64）与 BV 独立相关。Nugent 评分与 hBD-1（Spearman's rho = -0.2118；p = 0.0001）和 hBD-2（Spearman's rho = -0.2117；p = 0.0001）的宫颈阴道水平之间存在显著负相关。
BV 与育龄妇女宫颈阴道 hBDs1-3 水平降低有关。
