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Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Protocols for Vaginal Inoculation and Sample Collection in the Experimental Mouse Model of Candida vaginitis

Protocols for Vaginal Inoculation and Sample Collection in the Experimental Mouse Model of Candida vaginitis

Published on: December 8, 2011

Lubricating gel influence on vaginal microbiome sampling.

Daphna Amitai Komem¹, Rotem Hadar², Joseph Nathaniel Paulson³

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Affiliated With the Tel-Aviv University, Tel Hashomer, Israel. kadaphna@gmail.com.

Scientific Reports

|August 6, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Lubricating gel used in gynecological exams can affect vaginal sample quality, but does not alter the vaginal microbiome composition. For accurate results, collect samples before gel use or 24 hours after.

Keywords:

16S rRNA sequencing Bacterial vaginosis Multiomics Preterm birth

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Gynecology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Gel lubrication is common in gynecological exams to reduce discomfort.
Its effect on vaginal microbial composition during sample collection is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of lubricating gel on vaginal sample microbial composition.
To assess the quality and microbial integrity of samples collected with and without gel.

Main Methods:

Collected 143 vaginal samples from 31 pregnant women in their third trimester.
Samples were collected with and without gel, immediately frozen, or after 5 hours at room temperature, and some after 24 hours.
Microbial analysis was performed using 16S amplicon sequencing.

Main Results:

Gel lubrication negatively impacted specimen quality, with half of gel samples failing processing limitations.
This effect on quality diminished after 24 hours.
When samples met post-sequencing filters, gel did not alter microbial composition, taxa abundance, or diversity.

Conclusions:

Vaginal sample collection methodology, specifically the use of gel, can affect specimen quality.
Gel lubrication does not appear to alter the vaginal microbiome composition itself.
Recommend collecting samples either before gel application or 24 hours post-application to ensure data integrity.