Vaginal lactobacilli in adolescents: presence and relationship to local and systemic immunity, and to bacterial vaginosis.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to survey middle adolescents for the presence of vaginal lactobacilli, lactobacilli-specific immune sensitization, and correlates of vaginal immunity with lactobacilli and bacterial vaginosis (BV).


METHODS
A cohort of 89 female adolescents were evaluated for the presence of vaginal lactobacilli species, H2O2-producing species, and the prevalence of BV. Cytokines and antibodies in cervicovaginal lavages were detected and peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) responses to Lactobacillus crispatus were evaluated.


RESULTS
The majority of lactobacillus species were H2O2-producing and predominated by Lactobacillus acidophilus. PBL responses to lactobacilli were detectable in 50% of the cohort. BV was present in 36% of adolescents and negatively correlated with the presence of vaginal lactobacilli. The majority of locally associated cytokines and antibodies were similar in those with or without BV or lactobacilli.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents harbor vaginal lactobacilli with relationships to BV along with lactobacilli-specific immune sensitization, but with few correlates of local immunity to lactobacilli or BV.
Alvarez-Olmos
Martha I
MI
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program, Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.
Barousse
Melissa M
MM
Rajan
Latta
L
Van Der Pol
Barbara J
BJ
Fortenberry
Dennis
D
Orr
Donald
D
Fidel
Paul L
PL
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D016207:Cytokines