Vaginal lipidomics of women with vulvovaginal candidiasis and cytolytic vaginosis: A non-targeted LC-MS pilot study

• Published in: PloS one 2018-08, Vol.13 (8), p.e0202401-e0202401
• Main Authors: Sanches, José Marcos, Giraldo, Paulo César, Amaral, Rose, Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira, Marques, Lygia Azevedo, Migliorini, Isabel, Nakahira, Marcel, Bieleveld, Michel Jan Marinus, Discacciati, Michelle Garcia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Adolescent; Adult; Apoptosis; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Candidiasis; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - diagnosis; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - metabolism; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - pathology; Care and treatment; Cell cycle; Chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid; Cluster analysis; Clustering; Control methods; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytodiagnosis; Diagnosis; Discharge; Dysbacteriosis; Ecosystems; Fatty acids; Female; Gynecology; Health aspects; Humans; Infections; Integrity; Lipid Metabolism; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Lipoic acid; Lipoproteins test; Liquid chromatography; Mass Spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiota; Oxidative Stress; Palmitic acid; Pathogens; Phosphates; Phosphatidic acid; Phosphoserine; Physical Sciences; Physiology; Pilot Projects; Pruritus; Research and Analysis Methods; Sphinganine; Studies; Sulfate; Sulfates; Vagina; Vagina - metabolism; Vagina - microbiology; Vaginosis; Vulvovaginal candidiasis; Womens health
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202401

To characterize the lipid profile in vaginal discharge of women with vulvovaginal candidiasis, cytolytic vaginosis, or no vaginal infection or dysbiosis. Cross-sectional study. Genital Infections Ambulatory, Department of Tocogynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo-Brazil. Twenty-four women were included in this study: eight with vulvovaginal candidiasis, eight with cytolytic vaginosis and eight with no vaginal infections or dysbiosis (control group). The lipid profile in vaginal discharge of the different study groups was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and further analyzed with MetaboAnalyst 3.0 platform. Vaginal lipids concentration and its correlation with vulvovaginal candidiasis and cytolytic vaginosis. PCA, PLS-DA and hierarchical clustering analyses indicated 38 potential lipid biomarkers for the different groups, correlating with oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and integrity of the vaginal epithelial tissue. Among these, greater concentrations were found for Glycochenodeoxycholic acid-7-sulfate, O-adipoylcarnitine, 1-eicosyl-2-heptadecanoyl-glycero-3-phosphoserine, undecanoic acid, formyl dodecanoate and lipoic acid in the vulvovaginal candidiasis group; N-(tetradecanoyl)-sphinganine, DL-PPMP, 1-oleoyl-cyclic phosphatidic, palmitic acid and 5-aminopentanoic acid in the cytolytic vaginosis group; and 1-nonadecanoyl-glycero-3-phosphate, eicosadienoic acid, 1-stearoyl-cyclic-phosphatidic acid, 1-(9Z,12Z-heptadecadienoyl)-glycero-3-phosphate, formyl 9Z-tetradecenoate and 7Z,10Z-hexadecadienoic acid in the control group. Lipids related to oxidative stress and apoptosis were found in higher concentrations in women with vulvovaginal candidiasis and cytolytic vaginosis, while lipids related to epithelial tissue integrity were more pronounced in the control group. Furthermore, in women with cytolytic vaginosis, we observed higher concentrations of lipids related to bacterial overgrowth.