Effect of oral N-acetyl cysteine on recurrent preterm labor following treatment for bacterial vaginosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) on gestational age at delivery in women with previous preterm labor and bacterial vaginosis.


METHODS
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 280 women between 16 and 18 weeks of pregnancy who had 1 previous preterm birth and had just been successfully treated for bacterial vaginosis with metronidazole for 1 week. The women were randomized to receive 0.6 g of NAC per day plus 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) or placebo plus 17-OHPC until 36 completed weeks of pregnancy or active labor. A vaginal swab was taken during labor.


RESULTS
Reaching 36 weeks of pregnancy was more frequent (P<0.05) and gestational age at delivery was significantly higher in the NAC than in the placebo group (37.4 weeks+/-0.4 weeks vs 34.1 weeks+/-1.2 weeks, P<0.05). The discontinuation rate was 11.4% in the NAC group.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral NAC was found to reduce the recurrence of preterm birth in patients with bacterial vaginosis.
Shahin
Ahmed Y
AY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Health Centre, Assiut University, Egypt. Ahmed.Shahin@web.de
Hassanin
Ibrahim M A
IM
Ismail
Alaa M
AM
Kruessel
Jan S
JS
Hirchenhain
Jens
J
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008795:Metronidazole; D000111:Acetylcysteine