Author Identifier (ORCID)
Claus T. Christophersen: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1591-5871
Abstract
Vaginal microbiome composition has been linked to risk of preterm birth (PTB), a persistent global health challenge. 16S rRNA microbial profiling has identified specific vaginal community state types (CSTs) that have been associated with PTB risk. Diagnostic profiling requires standardised pre-analytical protocols. We evaluated two storage methods and validated a curated, vagina-specific 16S rRNA gene database (VagDB) to enhance annotation. Paired Copan FLOQ swabs from 22 women at high PTB risk were processed for either (a) dry/immediate freezing or (b) Amies-stabilisation/refrigeration. Amplicon sequence variants were generated via 16S rRNA gene (V4) PCR and Illumina sequencing. We assessed diversity, composition, and community state type (CST) allocation. Amies-stabilised samples yielded significantly higher DNA (p = 0.003), but this did not alter species richness, evenness, or community structure. VagDB enhanced species-level resolution. PCoA showed robust clustering by participant and CST (p < 0.001), irrespective of storage; CST concordance exceeded 90%. Routinely collected vaginal swabs in stabilisation medium with an 8–72 h refrigeration window yield reliable data, supporting the integration of vaginal microbiome profiling into clinical PTB risk assessment.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Volume
14
Issue
1
Publication Title
Microorganisms
Publisher
MDPI
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funders
Western Australian Human Microbiome Collaboration Centre (WAHMCC) / Curtin University / Channel 7 Telethon Trust / Western Australia Pregnancy Biobank / Women & Infants Research Foundation
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Ali, A., Keelan, J. A., Penova-Veselinovic, B., Allentoft, M. E., Bunce, M., & Christophersen, C. T. (2026). Optimising vaginal microbiome profiling for clinical translation: A comparative assessment of sample storage methods and a vagina-specific 16s rRNA gene database. Microorganisms, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010128