OBJECTIVES: To examine the distribution of Gardnerella genomospecies in a Chinese cohort, investigate its relationship with BV and elucidate the potential function of L. iners in predicting the clinical outcome of BV. POPULATION: 130 non-pregnant BV patients and 41 healthy women from Peking University First Hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients visited clinic again after antibiotic treatment and divided into three groups according to Nugent score. METHODS: Vaginal swabs used for microscopic examination, 16SrRNA sequencing, bacterial culture and isolation and Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae and Lactobacillus iners isolates used for competition tests. RESULTS: Seven Gardnerella genomospecies were presented in all participants and relative abundance of all detected genomospecies were higher in BV patients (p<0.05). Cured patients possessed higher GS03 compared to other groups (p=0.005, 0.0337). L. iners was significantly higher in cured patients compared to other groups (p=0.0021, p<0.0001) and it was able to inhibit the growth of Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae. CONCLUSION: Seven Gardnerella genomospecies can be detected in Chinese BV patients, but its distribution is not related to BV. Cured patients possess higher relative abundance of L. iners is higher and L. iners can inhibit growth Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae. L. iners might become a predictive indicator of clinical outcomes of BV patients and its antimicrobial function might be beneficial to BV patients. FUNDING: National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFC2301000) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81971342). Key words: bacterial vaginosis, Gardnerella genomospecies, Lactobacillus iners, 16SrRNA sequencing, antimicrobial activity.