Vaginal microbiota and IVF outcomes: development of a simple diagnostic tool to predict patients at risk of a poor reproductive outcome

Female reproductive tract microbiota may have an important impact on the implantation rate of the embryo and, subsequently, the reproductive outcome. Previously, a qPCR assay for diagnosis of abnormal vaginal microbiota (AVM), targeting Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae above threshold levels, predicted a poorer reproductive outcome in IVF patients with AVM. In the present study, microscopy (Nugent score) and qPCR was compared to 16S rRNA gene sequencing with clustering of G. vaginalis 16S rRNA gene variants, corresponding to genomic clades in order to evaluate if a more detailed characterization of the vaginal microbiota could improve prediction of IVF patients at risk of a poor reproductive outcome.