HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by LINDNER, J. G. E. M. Articles by HOOGKAMP-KORSTANJE, J. A. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by LINDNER, J. G. E. M. Articles by HOOGKAMP-KORSTANJE, J. A. A. Agricola Articles by LINDNER, J. G. E. M. Articles by HOOGKAMP-KORSTANJE, J. A. A.

Quantitative Studies of the Vaginal Flora of Healthy Women and of Obstetric and Gynaecological Patients

J. G. E. M. LINDNER^*, F. H. F. PLANTEMA and JACOMINA A. A. HOOGKAMP-KORSTANJE^*

^* Laboratory of Microbiology, State University Utrecht, Catharijnesingel 59, Utrecht

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Grootziekengasthuis, Nieuwstraat 34, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Received October 24, 1977
Accepted November 7, 1977

The cervical and high vaginal flora were studied by quantitative culture methods applied to 356 specimens from 53 healthy non-pregnant women, 102 pregnant women and 57 women with cervicitis. Specimens were obtained with a specially designed "slimesucker". In all groups the total viable counts ranged from 10⁸-10¹⁰ bacteria per ml of fluid from the cervix and posterior fornix. There was only a slight difference between the flora of cervix and fornix.

In healthy women the means of the number of bacterial species per cervical and high vaginal specimen were 1·5 and 1·9 respectively. Lactobacilli predominated in 72% and 80% of cervical and high vaginal cultures respectively. Staphylococcus albus, non-haemolytic and -haemolytic streptococci, diph-theroids, peptostreptococci, peptococci and Bacteroides spp. could be isolated in high numbers, but less commonly than lactobacilli. Members of the Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts also occurred less commonly than lactobacilli, and in lower numbers (10⁵-10⁸ organisms per ml). It is postulated that the Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts are not part of the normal flora. In specimens from pregnant women the viable bacterial counts were comparable with those in specimens from healthy non-pregnant women. The flora was even more homogeneous during pregnancy, the means of the number of species being 1·5 and 1·7 in cervical and high vaginal cultures respectively; lactobacilli occurred in 92% of the cervical and 86% of the high vaginal samples. In women with cervicitis the means of the number of species obtained from the cervix and fornix were 2·2 and 2·5, with lactobacilli predominating in 65% and 84% respectively. Bacteroides spp. and peptostreptococci were more commonly encountered in women with cervicitis than in those without, but the viable counts of these organisms were similar in all women. The role of bacteria in the production of cervicitis is discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. De Petrocellis, R. Deva, F. Mainieri, M. Schaefer, T. Bisogno, R. Ciccoli, A. Ligresti, K. Hill, S. Nigam, G. Appendino, et al. Chemical synthesis, pharmacological characterization, and possible formation in unicellular fungi of 3-hydroxy-anandamide J. Lipid Res., April 1, 2009; 50(4): 658 - 666. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Xu, K. Schwartz, M. Bartoces, J. Monsur, R. K. Severson, and J. D. Sobel Effect of Antibiotics on Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: A MetroNet Study J Am Board Fam Med, July 1, 2008; 21(4): 261 - 268. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. M. Wexler Bacteroides: the Good, the Bad, and the Nitty-Gritty Clin. Microbiol. Rev., October 1, 2007; 20(4): 593 - 621. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. L. Coolen, E. Post, C. C. Davis, and L. J. Forney Characterization of Microbial Communities Found in the Human Vagina by Analysis of Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms of 16S rRNA Genes Appl. Envir. Microbiol., December 1, 2005; 71(12): 8729 - 8737. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Joishy, C. S. Ashtekar, A. Jain, and R. Gonsalves Do we need to treat vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls? BMJ, January 22, 2005; 330(7484): 186 - 188. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. LARSEN and R. P. GALASK Vaginal Microbial Flora: Composition and Influences of Host Physiology Ann Intern Med, June 1, 1982; 96(6_Part_2): 926 - 930. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. R. MARTIN, V. BUTTRAM, P. BESCH, J. J. KIRKLAND, and G. P. PETTY Nasal and Vaginal Staphylococcus aureus in Young Women: Quantitative Studies Ann Intern Med, June 1, 1982; 96(6_Part_2): 951 - 953. [Abstract] [PDF]