An understanding of the bacteriology of the vagina in the healthy individual is of importance not only to the bacteriologist but also to the clinician, who would have a better comprehension of the various factors involved in disease of the female genitalia. Before a clear picture of the changes brought about by the presence of pathogenic bacteria can be presented, it is necessary to know the or...

A quantitative bacteriological study of the appendix wall of 43 children admitted to this unit showed no significant differences between the flora of the histologically normal and acutely inflamed appendices. Bacteroides species, Escherichia coli, and streptococcal species were the commonest organisms isolated and were found in counts of 10(3) to 10(8) organisms per gram of tissue. Bacteroides ...

The aim of this review is to update knowledge about the vaginal ecosystem, non-cultivation methods for bacterial identification (gene amplification), the Lactobacillus species that comprise normal vaginal flora and influence of host genetics on bacterial interactions with local innate and acquired immune defenses. A Medline (Pubmed) search from 1997-2009 for relevant articles was performed and ...

During pregnancy, abnormal vaginal flora (AVF), bacterial vaginosis (BV), and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are associated with serious complications discomfort. We aimed to elucidate the effectiveness of oral probiotics in secondary prevention BV/AVF VVC pregnant women. A multicenter prospective randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted at three medical centers between ...

OBJECTIVE To study the aerobic conjunctival flora of diabetic patients and its relation to the presence and level of diabetic retinopathy and the duration of the disease. METHODS One hundred three patients from the diabetic retinopathy screening program of the Federal University of São Paulo with no evidence of ocular surface disease were included. The diabetic patient cohort was compared wit...

Samples from the pharynx, stomach, duodenum or jejunum, and faeces were collected on 7 days between 1st and 28th day from neonates weighing less than 1.5 kg at birth who were fed by transpyloric tube. These were cultured on selective and non-selective media, and the results were expressed in a semi-quantitative manner. The number of bacterial species and the density of their growth increased wi...

The bacterial microbiota of 15 sigmoid neovaginas, created in patients with congenital vaginal aplasia or male transsexualism, was studied. No specimen was sterile, and only normal inhabitants of the colon were cultured. The total counts of bacteria were lower than those reported for healthy sigmoid colons.

Probiotic therapy is attracting the renewed interest of clinicians and basic investigators from a variety of traditional research disciplines. While the theoretical rationale for modifying the commensal flora of the gastrointestinal tract in specific circumstances appears sound and requires scientific pursuit, the field of probiotics has been clouded by exaggerated claims from some quarters. In...

In a healthy human, the internal tissues, e.g. blood, brain, muscle, etc., are normally free of microorganisms. However, the surface tissues, i.e., skin and mucous membranes, are constantly in contact with environmental organisms and become readily colonized by various microbial species. The mixture of organisms regularly found at any anatomical site is referred to as the normal flora. The norm...