Key Vaginal Bacteria Associated with Increased Risk of HIV Acquisition in African Women

This prospective study utilized molecular characterization of vaginal microbiota to examine the link between vaginal bacteria and risk of HIV acquisition. Data from five cohorts of African women including sex workers, pregnant/post-partum women, and women in serodiscordant relationships were utilized to conduct a nested case-control analysis comparing vaginal microbiota between women who acquired HIV versus women who remained seronegative. Broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR and pyrosequencing was applied to a subset of 55 cases and 55 controls. Vaginal bacterial community diversity, measured by the Shannon Diversity Index, was higher in women who acquired HIV. Vaginal microbial diversity was associated with women's risk of HIV acquisition.