Focused ultrasound: a novel therapy for improving vaginal microecology in patients with high-risk HPV infection

Figures & data

Table 1. Correlation between social demography and vaginal microecology [n (%)].

Characteristics	Normal vaginal microecology	Abnormal vaginal microecology	p-value
	(n = 68)	(n = 101)
Age,yrs,mean, (SD)	35 ± 9.59	38 ± 7.94	0.0282^a
No fixed occupation (n%)	21 (30.8)	29 (28.7)	0.7619^b
Live in rural areas (n%)	15 (22)	29 (28.7)	0.3337^b
Education level below senior high school (n%)	5 (7.3)	11 (10.8)	0.4410^b
Monthly income of less than 2000 yuan (n%)	4 (5.8)	1 (0.9)	0.0657^b
Smoking or passive smoking (n%)	5 (7.3)	11 (10.8)	0.4410^b
Drink alcohol (n%)	4 (5.8)	10 (9.9)	0.3527^b
The age of first sex ≤18 yrs (n%)	6 (8.8)	17 (16.8)	0.1365^b
Number of sexual partners ≥2 (n%)	0 (0)	1 (0.9)	0.4128^b
Number of times of sex per week ≥2 (n%)	15 (22)	20 (19.8)	0.7226^b
Age of first delivery ≤20 yrs (n%)	0 (0)	10 (9.9)	0.0075^b

^aBy independent-sample t-test

^bby direct Chi-square test.

Table 2. Comparison of the function of H₂O₂ negative rate and the density and diversity of vaginal flora at the time of admission and one week after drug treatment [n (%)].

Group	N	Vaginal flora density				vaginal flora diversity				H2O2 negative
		+	++	+++	++++	+	++	+++	++++
At the time of admission	101	11	21	34	35	9	15	35	42	63 (62.3)
One week after drug therapy	101	18	30	29	24	21	17	32	31	59 (58.4)
χ^2-value		5.7256^a				6.7169^a				0.1863^b
P-value		0.1258^a				0.0815^a				0.6660^b

N: number of total subjects; n: number of subjects in the given category.

^aBy McNemar Chi-square test;

^bBy McNemar paired Chi-square test.

Table 3. Comparison of PH value and the proportion of Lactobacillus between at the time of admission and one week after drug treatment [$\overline{\text{x}}$± s].

Group	N	pH value	Lactobacillus proportion
At the time of admission	101	5.076 ± 0.52	0.54 ± 0.10
One week after drug therapy	101	5.063 ± 0.72	0.52 ± 0.09
t-value		0.1471^a	1.4940^a
p-value		0.8831^a	0.1367^a

N: number of total subjects;

^aBy Paired t-test.

Table 4. Comparison of normal rate of vaginal flora at the time of admission and 3 months after FU[n (%)].

At the time of admission	3 months after FU		Total n(%)
	Normal flora n(%)	Abnorma flora n(%)
Normal flora n (%)	68 (40.3)	0 (0)	68 (40.3)
Abnorma flora n (%)	90 (53.3)	11 (6.5)	101 (59.7)
Total	158 (93.5)	11 (6.5)	169 (100)
χ^2 –value	88.0111^a
P-value	0.0000^a

^aBy McNemar paired Chi-square test.

Table 5. Comparison of vaginal flora density and diversity at the time of admission and 3 months after FU [n (%)].

Group	N	Vaginal flora density				vaginal flora diversity
		+	++	+++	++++	+	++	+++	++++
At the time of admission	169	11	61	62	35	9	57	61	42
3 months after FU	169	3	85	80	1	5	88	74	2
u-value		2.8411^a				4.2385^a
P-value		0.0045^a				0.0000^a

N: number of total subjects; n number of subjects in the given category;

^aBy rank sum test of rank data.

Table 6. Comparison of abnormal vaginal secretions at the time of admission and 3 months after FU[n (%)].

	N	H2O2 negative	Leukocyte esterase positive	Sialic anhydrase positive	Bacterial v aginitis	Fungal vaginitis	Trichomonal vaginitis
At the time of admission	169	63 (37.3)	92 (54.4)	65 (38.5)	93 (55)	75 (44.4)	12 (7.1)
3 months after FU	169	6 (3.6)	10 (5.9)	7 (4.1)	8 (4.7)	10 (5.9)	0 (0)
χ^2-value		59.1650^a	94.4131^a	59.3688^a	102.0199^a	66.4055^a	12.4417^a
P-value		0.00^a	0.00^a	0.00^a	0.00^a	0.00^a	0.0004^a

N: number of total subjects; n: number of subjects in the given category.

^aBy McNemar paired Chi-square test.

Table 7. Comparison of abnormal vaginal microenvironment at the time of admission and 3 months after FU[$\overline{\text{x}}$± s].

	N	pH value	Nagent score
At the time of admission	169	4.72 ± 0.46	4.48 ± 3.79
3 months after FU	169	4.26 ± 0.25	1.27 ± 1.69
t-value		11.4640^a	10.0973^a
P-value		0.00^a	0.00^a

Abbreviations:N: number of total subjects;

^aBy Paired t-test.

Figure 1. Study flowchart.

Figure 2. Images of patients with acute vaginitis when at the time of admission、one week after drug therapy and 3 months after FU treatment.

Table 8. Comparison of HPV positive rate in different vaginal microecological groups at the time of admission and 3 months after FU[n(%)].

	N	Both normal vaginal microecology at the time of admission and 3 months after FU group n(%)	Abnormal vaginal microecology at the time of admission and returned to normal 3 months after FU group n(%)	Both abnormal vaginal microecology at the time of admission and 3 months after FU group n(%)	χ^2-value	p-value
Positive HR-HPV at the time of admission	169	68(100)	90(100)	11(100)	38.41^a	0.00^a
Positive HR-HPV 3 months after FU	21	4(5.8)	6(6.7)	11(100)

^aBy direct Chi-square test.

Table 9. Socio-demographic analysis of people with different vaginal microecological conditions.

Characteristics	Both normal vaginal microecology at the time of admission and 3 months after FU group (n = 68)	Abnormal vaginal microecology at the time of admission and returned to normal 3 months after FU group (n = 90)	Both abnormal vaginal microecology at the time of admission and 3 months after FU group (n = 11)	p-value
Age,yrs,mean, (SD)	35 ± 9.59	38 ± 7.877	38 ± 8.4453	0.222^a
No fixed occupation (n%)	21 (30.8)	19 (21.1)	10 (90.9)	0.0000^b
Live in rural areas (n%)	15 (22)	19 (21.1)	10 (90.9)	0.0000^b
Education level below senior high school (n%)	5 (7.3)	0 (0)	11 (100)	0.0000^b
Monthly income of less than 2000 yuan (n%)	4 (5.8)	0 (0)	1 (9)	0.0448^b
Smoking or passive smoking (n%)	5 (7.3)	0 (0)	11 (100)	0.0000^b
Drink alcohol (n%)	4 (5.8)	8 (8.8)	2 (18.2)	0.3713^b
The age of first sex ≤18 yrs (n%)	6 (8.8)	7 (7.7)	10 (90.9)	0.0000^b
Number of sexual partners ≥2 (n%)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (9)	0.0007^b
Number of times of sex per week ≥2 (n%)	15 (22)	19 (21.1)	1 (9)	0.6100^b
Age of first delivery ≤20 yrs (n%)	0 (0)	0 (0)	10 (90.9)	0.0000^b

^aBy independent-sample t-test;

^bby direct Chi-square test.