OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on the vaginal flora of postmenopausal women. METHODS Vaginal cultures were obtained from 15 postmenopausal women whose hormonal statuses were documented by serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and serum estrogen levels. After 8 weeks of ERT, consisting of 0.1 mg of estradiol delivered daily by dermal patch, the vagin...

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of severe systemic and local infections in newborns. This study was performed to evaluate the presence of GBS in pregnant women and their newborns in Tabriz, Iran. Vaginal specimens were collected from 965 women who were candidate for vaginal delivery for bacteriological study of group B streptococci. Several samples from various sites of the newborn...

OBJECTIVE Isolation of Trichosporon species from vaginal secretions is a rare event, and no data are available on its pathogenic role. A case series is presented to determine the pathogenic role of Trichosporon species in vulvovaginal infections. METHODS We performed a retrospective chart review of patients seen in the W.S.U. Vaginitis Clinic in order to identify patients from whom Trichospor...

Maternal vaginal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS) is a major risk factor for invasive GBS infection in newborns. The CDC-recommended method for detecting GBS colonization is to culture vaginal and rectal swabs in a selective broth followed by subculture on blood agar or a selective medium. A high incidence of antimicrobial resistance in the fecal microflora can compromise the recov...

Sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) across the cervicovaginal mucosa in women is influenced by many factors including the microbiota and the presence of underlying inflammation. It is important that potential HIV preventative agents do not alter the mucosal environment in a way that enhances HIV acquisition. We examined the impact of a "live" microbicide on the va...

Pelvic infection in females often occur as a result of colonization by a variety of bacteria On the vaginal and cervical epithelium. The type of organisms present in the vagina depends on pH and the enzymes in the vaginal secretions. Therefore, knowledge of the bacterial inhabitants of the vagina and cervix during pregnancy is important and could be of value in assessing the pathogenesis of sev...

With the advent of next-generation sequencing and microbial community characterization, we are beginning to understand the key factors that shape early-life microbial colonization and associated health outcomes. Studies characterizing infant microbial colonization have focused mostly on bacteria in the microbiome and have largely neglected fungi (the mycobiome), despite their relevance to mucos...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus, GBS) is the predominant bacterial agent responsible for invasive perinatal infection. To obtain reliable data on vaginal and rectal carriage of S. agalactiae in pregnant women in Czech Republic, and to formulate a prevention programme of neonatal GBS disease for the Czech Republic, women at childbirth were screened for vag...