title: The identification of vaginal Lactobacillus species and the demographic and microbiologic characteristics of women colonized by these species.
abstract: Lactobacillus acidophilus has been reported to be the predominant vaginal species. Vaginal lactobacilli isolated from 215 sexually active women were identified using whole-chromosomal DNA probes to 20 American Type Culture Collection Lactobacillus strains. Most women were colonized by L. crispatus (32%), followed by L. jensenii (23%), a previously undescribed species designated L. 1086V (15%), L. gasseri (5%), L. fermentum (0.3%), L. oris (0.3%), L. reuteri (0.3%), L. ruminis (0.3%), and L. vaginalis (0.3%). H2O2 was produced by 95% of L. crispatus and 94% of L. jensenii isolates, compared with only 9% of L. 1086V. Colonization by L. crispatus or L. jensenii was positively associated with being white (P<.001), age >/=20 years (P=.05), barrier contraceptive usage (P=.008), and lower frequency of bacterial vaginosis (P<.001) and gonorrhea (P=.03). L. crispatus and L. jensenii, not L. acidophilus, are the most common species of vaginal lactobacilli.
authors.affiliation: Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Antonio
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hawes
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hillier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003267:Contraception; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide