Preliminary investigation of changes in pathogen presence in the vaginal microbiome in association with age.

Background and Objectives: The vaginal microbiome represents a dynamic ecosystem that undergoes significant transformations throughout a woman's lifespan, influenced by hormonal fluctuations and physiological changes. Interpreting pathogen distribution and developing suitable therapeutic care techniques for women's reproductive health depends on an understanding of these age-related patterns. This study aims to thoroughly describe age-related changes in the makeup of the vaginal microbiome and the distribution of pathogenic species. Materials and Methods: Vaginal swab samples were collected from 29 subjects, categorized into different age groups (A: 15-30 years, B: 31-40 years, C: 41-50 years, and D: 51-60 years old females). Microbiome DNA was extracted from the collected vaginal swabs and shotgun next generation sequencing was performed. Post-sequencing, data was analysed using in-house pipeline followed by statistical analysis using R programming. Results: The results showed that microbial diversity varied significantly with age. Group C displayed the most severe pathogenic burden; Group A had the highest overall species diversity with 350 bacterial species. Group D displayed the greatest overall relative abundance levels of microorganisms, primarily due to Conclusion: This study shows that the composition of the vaginal microbiome changes fundamentally over the course of a woman's life, with each stage bringing with it its own set of microbial signatures, pathogenic risks, and therapeutic prospects.