Adherent biofilms in bacterial vaginosis.
OBJECTIVE
Bacterial vaginosis is a common infectious disorder. Although known since ancient times, little progress has occurred in identifying causal factors. Our aims were to study the bacterial community structure and the spatial organization of microbiota on the epithelial surfaces of vaginal biopsy specimens.


METHODS
We investigated the composition and spatial organization of bacteria associated with the vaginal epithelium in biopsy specimens from 20 patients with bacterial vaginosis and 40 normal premenopausal and postmenopausal controls using a broad range of fluorescent bacterial group-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes.


RESULTS
Bacterial vaginosis was associated with greater occurrence and higher concentrations of a variety of bacterial groups. However, only Gardnerella vaginalis developed a characteristic adherent biofilm that was specific for bacterial vaginosis.


CONCLUSIONS
A biofilm comprised of confluent G vaginalis with other bacterial groups incorporated in the adherent layer is a prominent feature of bacterial vaginosis.


METHODS
II-2.
Swidsinski
Alexander
A
Medizinische Klinik, Charité, CCM, Humboldt Universität, 10098 Berlin, Germany. alexander.swidsinski@charite.de
Mendling
Werner
W
Loening-Baucke
Vera
V
Ladhoff
Axel
A
Swidsinski
Sonja
S
Hale
Laura P
LP
Lochs
Herbert
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology