Fig 1.
A. The vaginal epithelium undergoes morphological changes during maturation. As cells mature, they migrate from the basal layer, to the parabasal and intermediate layers to the superficial layer from which they are shed. B. Morphological changes of the vaginal epithelium during maturation include decrease in nuclear and increase in cytoplasmic sizes, which provides the basis of the Maturity Index value (values shown are representative of each layer). C. Shedding of immature cells indicates depletion of superficial cells, and loss of structural integrity of the vaginal epithelial barrier.
Table 1.
Demographic and clinical description of study participants with a pre-TVUS epithelial cell maturity index (MI) less than or more than 3.
Fig 2.
Dashed lines represent change = 0.
Stars represent significant pairwise differences from pre-TVUS samples. A. For all participants, the change in VE cell count per 10 μL CVF in samples taken approximately 12 hours later (post-TVUS), within one week (W1-post-TVUS), and within two weeks (W2-post-TVUS), compared to immediately before TVUS. B. For all participants, the change in maturity index (MI) of samples taken approximately 12 hours later (post-TVUS), within one week (W1-post-TVUS), and within two weeks (W2-post-TVUS), compared to immediately before TVUS. C. For only participants with a pre-TVUS MI > 3, the change in VE cell count per 10 μL CVF in samples approximately 12 hours later (post-TVUS), within one week (W1-post-TVUS), and within two weeks (W2-post-TVUS), compared to immediately before TVUS. D. For only participants with a pre-TVUS MI > 3, the change in maturity index (MI) of samples taken approximately 12 hours later (post-TVUS), within one week (W1-post-TVUS), and within two weeks (W2-post-TVUS), compared to immediately before TVUS. E. For only participants with a pre-TVUS MI < 3, the change in VE cell count per 10 μL CVF in samples taken approximately 12 hours later (post-TVUS), within one week (W1-post-TVUS), and within two weeks (W2-post-TVUS), compared to immediately before TVUS. F. For only participants with a pre-TVUS MI < 3, the change in maturity index (MI) of samples taken approximately 12 hours later (post-TVUS), within one week (W1-post-TVUS), and within two weeks (W2-post-TVUS), compared to immediately before TVUS.
Fig 3.
Stars represent significant difference between low MI and high MI samples.
A. Cell-count per 10 μL CVF in samples taken within two weeks of TVUS (W2-post-TVUS) with lubricant exposure, comparing women with a pre-TVUS maturity index < 3 and women with a pre-TVUS maturity index > 3. B. Maturity index of samples taken within two weeks of TVUS (W2-post-TVUS) with lubricant exposure, comparing women with a pre-TVUS maturity index < 3 and women with a pre-TVUS maturity index > 3.