The profiles of vaginal microbiota in fertile and infertile Thai women

BACKGROUND: Vaginal microbiota dysbiosis has been associated with female reproductive health and infertility. This study aimed to compare vaginal microbiota profiles according to fertility and ovarian induction status among Thai women. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, vaginal samples were collected from Thai reproductive-aged women during their periovulatory period. The 16 S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced to ascertain the composition of the vaginal microbiota among 92 women (30 fertile and 62 infertile women). Vaginal microbiota profiles at the phylum and genus levels were compared among fertile women, infertile women before ovulation induction, and infertile women after ovulation induction. RESULTS: The dominant vaginal microbial phyla across all groups were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria. Lactobacillus was the predominant genus across all groups. However, exploratory differential abundance analyses identified several differentially enriched taxa across fertile, infertile (pre-ovulation induction), and infertile (post-ovulation induction) groups. No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity were observed between groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings did not demonstrate significant differences in overall vaginal microbial diversity between fertile and infertile Thai women. However, exploratory differential abundance analyses identified several taxa that may warrant further investigation. Larger prospective studies are needed to better clarify the potential role of vaginal microbiota in reproductive health and infertility.