BACKGROUND To obtain more detailed understanding of the causes of disturbance of the vaginal microflora (VMF), a longitudinal study was carried out for 17 women during two menstrual cycles. METHODS Vaginal swabs were obtained daily from 17 non-pregnant, menarchal volunteers. For each woman, Gram stains were scored, the quantitative changes of 5 key vaginal species, i.e. Atopobium vaginae, Lac...

The major codon preference model suggests that codons read by tRNAs in high concentrations are preferentially utilized in highly expressed genes. However, the identity of the optimal codons differs between species although the forces driving such changes are poorly understood. We suggest that these questions can be tackled by placing codon usage studies in a phylogenetic framework and that bact...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recent evidence supports the view that bacterial vaginosis presents as a polymicrobial biofilm infection. This has far-reaching implications for the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of bacterial vaginosis. RECENT FINDINGS Gardnerella vaginalis is presumably the first species to adhere to the vaginal epithelium and then becomes the scaffolding to which othe...

Antibodies to Gardnerella vaginalis were raised in rabbits. Nine antisera that reacted with their immunising strains, but not with the remaining eight strains, were used to develop a serotyping scheme. A dot blotting technique was used, and complexes of antigen and antibody were visualised using anti-rabbit immunoglobulin linked to alkaline phosphatase. Of 91 clinical isolates used to evaluate ...

AIM To identify rapidly and accurately coryneform bacteria, using a commercial strip system. METHODS Ninety eight strains of Corynebacterium species and 62 additional strains belonging to genera Erysipelothrix, Oerskovia, Rhodococcus, Actinomyces, Archanobacterium, Gardnerella and Listeria were studied. Bacteria were identified using conventional biochemical tests and a commercial system (API...

Whole-organism protein electrophoresis was used to compare and group unidentified coryneform bacteria resembling Gardnerella vaginalis and various Actinomyces and Arcanobacterium species. The obtained clusters of strains were further characterized by whole-cell fatty acid analysis and a variety of biochemical tests. Species-specific oligonucleotide probes based on 16S rRNA gene sequences were d...

Lactocin 160 is a vaginal probiotic-derived bacteriocin shown to selectively inhibit the growth of Gardenerella vaginalis and some other pathogens commonly associated with bacterial vaginosis. The natural origin of this peptide, its safety, and selective antimicrobial properties make it a promising candidate for successful treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial vaginosis (BV). This study evalua...

Analysis of 240 consecutive vaginal swabs using the compatibility profile technique revealed that only 2 bacteria have the ability to be a sole isolate and as such a candidate to be a major aerobic regulator of the bacterial flora of the female genital tract (BFFGT). Compatibility profiles of Lactobacillus and Gardnerella vaginalis have shown that these organisms shared compatibility profiling ...

Study of the probiotic potential of microorganisms isolated from fermented foods has been increasing, especially studies related to lactobacilli. In intestinal models, lactobacilli have demonstrated beneficial properties, such as anti-inflammatory activity and increased antibody production, but the molecular mechanisms involving probiotic and antagonistic action as well as their effect on human...

The rate of bactericidal activity and inactivation of metronidazole was studied in time-kill curves with Haemophilus vaginalis (Corynebacterium vaginale). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of metronidazole for the eight strains tested ranged from 4 to 16 micrograms/ml. At a concentration of 20 micrograms/ml, metronidazole demonstrated a slow cidal effect against exponential-phase organisms,...