Co-occurence of indol-producing bacterial strains in the vagina of women infected with Chlamydia trachomatis

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if cervicitis, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), has an influence on the frequency of occurrence of selected aerobic and anaerobic bacterial strains, connected with etiology of aerobic vaginitis (AV) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Indole-producing bacteria have received particular attention due to their possibly inductive role in chronic cervicitis caused by C. trachomatis. Material and methods: The swabs from vagina and cervical canal have been obtained from 122 women (aged 18-40). The presence of C. trachomatis antigen had been detected and diagnosed with the help of direct immunofluorescence, BV with Amesl and Nugent criteria, whereas the AV with Donders criteria. The identification of the bacterial strains isolated from vagina has been performed according to classical microbiological diagnostics. Results: Disruption of vaginal microflora (4-10 in Nugent score) was determined in 11,5% of observed women. AV was diagnosed in 4,5% women with chlamydial cervicitis, BV was diagnosed in 10,9% and 5,45% of these women, on the basis of Amsel and Nugent criteria respectively. Conclusions: Indole-producing bacterial strains connected with BV and AV (Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Propionibacterium acnes, Escherichia coli) have been isolated significantly more often from vagina of women infected with C. trachomatis (p=0,0405, χ2=4,20) and these findings confirm co-importance of indole-producing bacterial strains in cervicitis caused by C. trachomatis .