title: Evaluation of vaginal malodor and efficacy of treatment by high performance ion exchange chromatography.
abstract: High performance ion exchange chromatography was employed to evaluate the presence of short chain organic acids in the vaginal fluid of a woman troubled by persistent foul vaginal odor, but who did not have typical bacterial vaginosis. The vaginal secretions from this patient were collected on a weighed cotton swab and eluted into water and extracted by acidified ether. Salts of the acids were back-extracted into aqueous solution and chromatographed on an H-form resin column and compared to commercially available standards. A strikingly large amount of caproic acid was found. The caproic acid disappeared after metronidazole therapy, and a subsequent follow-up chromatogram showed a predominance of lactic acid. The success of this technique in evaluating the present case suggests that such a method may prove useful in other types of vaginal infection.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002208:Caproates / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003652:Decanoic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005650:Fumarates / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007651:Keto Acids / Q000032:analysis; D007773:Lactates / Q000032:analysis; D009812:Odorants; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D003652:Decanoic Acids; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D005650:Fumarates; D007651:Keto Acids; D007773:Lactates