Influence of Probiotics on the Vaginal Microbiota

July 14, 2020 updated by: Kinderwunsch Institut GmbH

Influence of OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA Plus+ on the Vaginal Microbiome of Patients Suffering From Infertility

The study aims to assess the influence of a probiotic supplement (OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA plus +) on the vaginal microbiome composition of women suffering from infertility.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Infertility is a global phenomenon affecting around 186 millions of people worldwide. Many circumstances have been identified to cause infertile conditions, with age being one of the most limiting factors. However, in recent years the microbiome has gained importance in the treatment of infertility and is considered as another important player to improve success rate of reproductive medicine treatments like in-vitro-fertilization (IVF).

Within the female reproductive tract the dominance of Lactobacilli is associated with a healthy vaginal microbial community in healthy reproductive-aged women. Since the microbiome has gained so much importance, its influence in IVF treatments is still controversially discussed. While some studies suggest a negative influence of vaginal dysbiosis on pregnancy rates a current meta-analysis showed no association between abnormal vaginal flora and conception rates following IVF treatment. One therapeutic approach is the administration of beneficial microorganisms (probiotics), mainly Lactobacillus species. The supplementation of exogenous lactobacilli strains has been suggested as cure for a dysbiotic vaginal flora to re-establish healthy conditions and improving female fertility health.

Hence, in the present study we wanted to investigate the impact of 4 probiotic strains (Lactobacillus crispatus LBV88, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LBV96, Lactobacillus gasseri LBV150N and Lactobacillus jensenii LBV116) on the relative abundance of vaginal microbiata species in women suffering from infertility.

80 infertile women suffering from infertility were included in the study within fertility treatment. 40 patients with IVF / ICSI were examined (20 with OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA plus +, 20 as a control) and 40 patients with IUI / VZO (20 with OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA plus +, 20 as a control). The control patients were selected from the routine patient collective of the Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH and receive no treatment with probiotics or placebo. Patients in the therapy group took 1 sachet of OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA plus + (= 2 g) dissolved in 1/8 l of water once a day. Patients in the control group received no additional medication for routine treatment. Patients were randomized after inclusion in the study (block randomization).

On day 20 in the pre-cycle of hormonal stimulation, a vaginal smear sample was taken from the patient. The investigator introduced a sterile swab (eSwabTM, Copan Diagnostics Inc., USA), and took material from the mucosal surface. The eSwab was transferred to a sterile Falcon tube, stored at -72 ° C and then handed over to the company biovis Diagnostik MVZ GmbH (Germany) for 16s rRNA gene analysis. On day 20 in the stimulated cycle or subsequent cycle of the fertility treatment, another vaginal smear sample was taken and also stored in a sterile Falcon tube at -72 ° C.

The microbiota was determined using 16s rRNA gene analysis. The bacterial genomic DNA was isolated from the samples and the region V3-V4 was sequenced (Nextera XT, DNA Library Preparation Kit; Illumina MiSeq, Illumina, The Netherlands).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

80

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Styria
      • Dobl, Styria, Austria, 8143
        • Das Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • patients with primary or secondary infertility
  • age between 18 and 40
  • signed informed consent
  • BMI between 19 and 29.9

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with severe, acute and / or chronic diseases
  • obesity
  • hirsutism
  • current intake of antibiotics
  • State after hysterectomy
  • Simultaneous use of other probiotics

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Therapy group
Patients in the therapy group took 1 sachet of OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA plus + (= 2 g) dissolved in 1/8 l of water once a day
OMNi-BiOTiC® FLORA plus + is a dietary supplement for the treatment of a disturbed vaginal flora (dysbiosis). The product combines probiotic bacterial strains with a special fiber mixture. The product contains the following strains: Lactobacillus crispatus LBV88, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LBV96, Lactobacillus gasseri LBV150N and Lactobacillus jensenii LBV116
No Intervention: Control group
Patients in the control group received no additional medication.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
vaginal microbiome
Time Frame: 1 month
The microbiota was determined using 16s rRNA gene analysis. The bacterial genomic DNA was isolated from the samples and the region V3-V4 was sequenced
1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Michael Schenk, MD, Kinderwunsch Institut GmbH

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 30, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 19, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

November 12, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 10, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 10, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

July 15, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 16, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 14, 2020

Last Verified

July 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • FRED002

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

IPD Plan Description

Data will be available within a publication of the study

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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