This study was published on researchsquare.com as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed.
Key Takeaway
Women who took an oral probiotic — Lactobacillus crispatus M247 —were more likely to clear HPV and HPV-associated cytologic abnormalities than those who did not.
Why This Matters
Lactobacilli are the most common microorganisms in healthy vaginal microbiota.
An imbalance in the vaginal microbiome can make women more susceptible to HPV infection.
The study suggests that oral lactobacilli could help restore the vaginal microbiome balance and possibly clear HPV.
Study Design
The investigators randomly assigned 160 women with HPV to receive lactobacillus supplements daily for 6 months (n = 80) or a placebo (n = 80).
The bacteria were delivered in a sachet with at least 20 billion colony forming units, either mixed in water for drinking or eaten directly (Crispact sachets, PharmExtracta).
Women had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, or negative Pap smears with positive HPV-DNA.
Women were sexually active and a median of age 45 years.
Key Results
At a median follow-up of 12 months, HPV-related cytological anomalies cleared in 60.5% of the probiotic group vs 41.3% of the control group (P= .05).
