PREreview of Characterization of vaginal microbiomes in clinician-collected bacterial vaginosis diagnosed samples

The research on "Characterization of vaginal microbiomes in clinician-collected bacterial vaginosis diagnosed samples" reveals significant findings regarding the microbial diversity in bacterial vaginosis (BV). Utilizing 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the study identifies a complex array of microbial species and demonstrates a strong concordance between traditional diagnostic methods and sequencing results. This work enhances understanding of specific microbial signatures linked to BV, contributing to insights into its pathogenesis and potential treatment strategies, thereby advancing the field by advocating for genomic approaches in microbiome characterization.

Major issues

• Sample Size: The study may have limitations regarding the sample size, which could impact the generalizability of the findings across diverse populations.

• Clinical Relevance: While the study identifies microbial signatures, it may lack direct clinical correlations or implications regarding treatment outcomes or recurrence rates.

• Methodological Limitations: Potential biases in sample collection or processing could affect the results, particularly if there are inconsistencies in how samples were handled across different clinicians.

Minor issues

• Clarity in Methodology: Some sections of the methodology could be elaborated upon to enhance clarity, particularly regarding sample processing and sequencing techniques.

• Data Presentation: Visual representations of data (e.g., graphs or charts) could be improved to better illustrate key findings and trends within the microbiome data.

• Discussion Flow: The discussion section could benefit from a more structured flow, linking findings back to existing literature more explicitly to contextualize the results within the broader field of microbiome research.

Competing interests

The author declares that they have no competing interests.