General Obstetrics and Gynecology GynecologyVaginal polymorphonuclear leukocytes and bacterial vaginosis as markers for histologic endometritis among women without symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease☆,☆☆
Section snippets
Study population
Before recruitment, this study was approved by the Magee-Womens Hospital institutional review board. Women were recruited from 4 clinical sites in Pittsburgh, Pa. These included an urban sexually transmitted diseases clinic, 2 ambulatory gynecology clinics, and 2 community-based primary care clinics. Recruitment took place from May 1998 to September 2001. Women aged 15 to 30 were eligible for enrollment if they had one of the following: Cervicitis caused by N gonorrhoeae or C trachomatis ;
Results
Among the 537 women entered in this study during the enrollment period, vaginal neutrophils (≥1 per oil field) were present in 240 (44.7%) and histologic endometritis was present in 77 (14.3%). The prevalence of infection with N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis in the study population was 11.1% and 21.5%, respectively. Characteristics of women with and without the presence of vaginal neutrophils are summarized in Table I.
Comment
In this study of 537 women with or at risk for pelvic infection, 240 (44.7%) had vaginal neutrophils and 77 (14.3%) had histologic endometritis. Women with endometritis were significantly more likely to have vaginal neutrophils present, with an odds ratio of 3.2. This association between vaginal neutrophils and histologic endometritis persisted even after controlling for bacterial vaginosis. Interestingly, when we stratified women by the presence or absence of both vaginal neutrophils and
Acknowledgements
We thank the Allegheny County Health Department Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic and the Family Health Council Clinics of Aliquippa and East Liberty.
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Supported by National Institutes of Health grant No. R01 AI41624-01.
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Reprints not available from the authors.