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Table 1 Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of study participants at time of sample collection, grouped based on their luminal microbiome

From: Distinct cervical tissue-adherent and luminal microbiome communities correlate with mucosal host gene expression and protein levels in Kenyan sex workers

 

Study groups

L1

L2

L3

L4

L5

p-valuea

Data n/ab

(n=10)

(n=30)

(n=21)

(n=39)

(n=8)

  

Median (range or %)

Number

Sociodemographic parameters

Age (years)

32 (23–47)

32 (21–48)

37 (20–48)

33 (21–50)

34 (24–40)

0.351

0

Time in sex work (months)

30 (12–120)

30 (8–264)

102 (12–372)

36 (3–324)

30 (12–144)

0.251

2

Number of weekly clients c

9 (3–25)

4 (1–50)

5 (0–30)

4 (0–50)

7 (2–28)

0.21

7

Marital status (married)

3 (30%)

4 (13%)

4 (19%)

10 (26%)

3 (38%)

0.552

2

Children (number)

2 (0–4)

2 (1–4)

2 (1–4)

2 (0–4)

2 (1–5)

0.791

15

Educational level (years in school)

9 (7–16)

10 (7–15)

9 (7–15)

10 (2–21)

10 (6–15)

0.941

1

Sex hormone status

DMPA use (yes)

3 (30%)

11 (37%)

7 (33%)

8 (21%)

5 (62%)

0.192

0

Progesterone d (ng/mL)

0.05(0.05–0.05)

0.05(0.05–0.05)

0.05(0.05–0.09)

0.05(0.05–0.05)

0.05(0.05–0.05)

0.361

2

Estradiol d (pg/mL)

22 (22–68)

22 (22–124)

29 (22–35)

22 (22–92)

22 (22–57)

0.971

2

Time since onset of menses e (days)

16 (4–44)

8 (5–40)

9 (5–30)

9 (3–34)

14 (6–19)

0.291

3

Progesterone f (ng/mL)

3(0.05–8)

0.05(0.05–9)

0.06(0.05–19)

0.05(0.05–11)

0.15(0.05–10)

0.091

0

Estradiol f (pg/mL)

215 (36–296)

76 (22–258)

140 (22–405)

82 (22–290)

109 (22–248)

0.091

0

STIs and vaginal health

HIV serostatus (seropositive)

1 (10%)

3 (10%)

2 (10%)

5 (13%)

2 (25%)

0.812

0

Presence of NG g

0

0

0

0

0

 

0

Presence of CT g

0

0

0

0

0

 

0

Presence of yeast g

0

1 (3%)

0

1 (3%)

1 (12%)

0.372

2

Vaginal discharge g

3 (30%)

3 (10%)

1 (5%)

2 (5%)

0

0.12

5

Nugents’ score (bacterial vaginosis) h

     

<0.0012

2

 -Negative (0–3)

7 (70%)

30 (100%)

9 (43%)

1 (3%)

2 (25%)

  

-Intermediate (4–6)

2 (20%)

0

9 (43%)

10 (26%)

4 (50%)

  

-Positive (7–10)

0

0

3 (14%)

28 (72%)

1 (12%)

  

Antibiotic use i

1

3

4

5

3

0.352

0

  1. a p-values: 1Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test; 2Fisher’s exact test
  2. bData n/a: Data not available for number of samples
  3. cNumber of weekly clients: Data from the questionnaire two weeks prior to sample collection: “How many clients did you have the past 7 days?”
  4. dPlasma concentration of progesterone (P4, lower limit of detection=0.05 ng/mL) and estradiol (E2, lower limit of detection 22 pg/mL) in study participants using DMPA
  5. eTime since onset of last menses (days) for study participants not using hormonal contraceptives (the control group)
  6. fPlasma concentration of progesterone (P4, lower limit of detection=0.05 ng/mL) and estradiol (E2, lower limit of detection 22 pg/mL) in study participants not using hormonal contraceptives (the control group)
  7. gHaving an ongoing STI at time of enrolment was an exclusion criteria for participating in the study. None of the study participants were diagnosed with neither C.trachomatis nor N. gonorroheae at time of sample collection. The scoring for yeast was made on the Gram-stained slide used for BV. Presence of discharge was recorded during physical examination
  8. hBacterial vaginosis: the statistical analysis is based on BV diagnosis (Nugent’s score 7–10) (yes/no) iAntibiotic use was defined from the medical records as prescribed at the last visit (2 weeks prior to sample collection), thus the numbers refer to ongoing or recently finalized antibiotic treatment. The HIV-seropositive participants were all on regular treatment with co-trimoxazole. The other three study participants received either amoxicillin or azithromycin