Relevance of the research
The biocenosis of the urogenital tract in women is a dynamic environment subject to various fluctuations in the species composition and number of bacteria and microorganisms. The share of lactobacilli in the total bacterial mass and the ratio of groups of microorganisms are not only an objective characteristic of the microbiota itself, but also serve as an indicator of a woman’s state of health.
Violation of the balance between the physiological microflora of the vagina and the conditionally pathogenic microflora causes bacterial vaginosis. At the same time, there is a decrease in the number of lactobacilli, which leads to a decrease in the concentration of lactic acid, an increase in the pH of the vaginal environment, and, accordingly, their replacement by opportunistic microorganisms.
In order to detect dysbiotic states of the urogenital tract in women, XEMA LLC developed the FloraScreen PCR kit. The principle of the kit is based on multiplex PCR in real-time with hybridization-fluorescence detection. The method consists of multiple doubling of a specific DNA section with the help of DNA polymerase in vitro. During the reaction, only a given section of DNA is copied, which satisfies the specificity conditions determined by the sequence of primers and fluorescent probe, and only if it is present in the sample under study. As a result, DNA copies are formed in the amount necessary for a reliable determination of the result. The test is used to assess the normal flora – total bacterial mass and relative concentration of microorganisms: Lactobacterium (crispatus+iners), Atopobium vaginae/Megasphaera, Porphiromonas/Prevotella, Gardnerella vaginalis, Sneatia/Leptotrichia/Fusobacteria, Peptostreptococcus/Clostridia/Mobilincus, Peptoniphilus spp./ Dialister spp., Enterobacteriaceae rpoB/Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp./Corynebacterium spp., Candida spp., Candida Alb, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum and Trichomonas vaginalis. The ratio of these microorganisms determines the state of biocenosis of the urogenital tract in women: normal microflora, moderate anaerobic or vaginal dysbiosis.