RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Do <em>Atopobium vaginae, Megasphaera</em> sp. and <em>Leptotrichia</em> sp. change the local innate immune response and sialidase activity in bacterial vaginosis?
JF Sexually Transmitted Infections
JO Sex Transm Infect
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 167
OP 173
DO 10.1136/sextrans-2012-050616
VO 89
IS 2
A1 Camila Marconi
A1 Gilbert G Donders
A1 Cristina M G L Parada
A1 Paulo C Giraldo
A1 Márcia Guimarães da Silva
YR 2013
UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/89/2/167.abstract
AB Objectives To investigate if the participation of Atopobium vaginae, Megasphaera sp. and Leptotrichia sp. in the bacterial community of bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with distinct patterns of this condition. Methods In this cross-sectional controlled study, 205 women with BV and 205 women with normal flora were included. Vaginal rinsing samples were obtained for measuring the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and bacterial sialidases. Real-time PCR was used to quantify the BV-associated bacteria and to estimate the total bacterial load using the 16S rRNA. Principal component analysis (PCA) using the measured parameters was performed to compare the BV samples with lower and higher loads of the species of interest. Results Higher bacterial load (p&lt;0.001), levels of interleukin 1-β (p&lt;0.001) and sialidase activity (p&lt;0.001) were associated with BV. Women with BV and higher relative loads of A vaginae, Megasphaera sp. and Leptotrichia sp. presented increased sialidase activity, but unchanged cytokine levels. PCA analysis did not indicate a different pattern of BV according to the loads of A vaginae, Megasphaera sp. and Leptotrichia sp. Conclusions Greater participation of A vaginae, Megasphaera sp. and Leptotrichia sp. in vaginal bacterial community did not indicate a less severe form of BV; moreover, it was associated with increased sialidase activity.