title: [Prevalence and characterization of vaginal lactobacillus species in women at reproductive age without vulvovaginitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify species of lactobacillus isolated from the vaginal contents of healthy and asymptomatic women, determining the most prevalent species and characterizing them phenotypically.
  
  
  METHODS
  lactobacillus have been isolated in selective milieu from samples of the vaginal contents of 135 women without complaints of vaginal secretion, and with negative laboratorial diagnosis of vaginal infection, followed up at an outpatient clinic. After being identified by multiplex PCR, the isolates have been submitted to RNAr 16S gene sequencing, when necessary. They have also been evaluated concerning the production of lactic acid, H2O2, bacteriocins and the ability to adhere to epithelial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  eight-three lactobacillus strains were isolated and identified, L. crispatus (30.1%), L. jensenii (26.5%), L. gasseri (22.9%) e L. vaginalis (8.4%), being the prevalent species. Only 20 of those isolates did not present H2O2 production, in detectable amounts. From the 37 strains selected for the test of adhesion to the epithelial cells, 12 presented 50 to 69% of adhesion, 10 presented 70% or more, and the remaining, little or no adhesion at all. None of the tested strains produced bacteriocins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the lactobacillus species more prevalent in women without vulvovaginitis, isolated in selective culture milieu and identified by molecular methods were L. crispatus, L. jensenii and L. gasseri. Besides the fact of being more prevalent, these strains also presented better production of H2O2, and reached lower pH values in the culture milieu.
authors: Departamento de Tocoginecologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Campinas (SP), Brasil. elianeb@unicamp.br
authors: Eliane Melo
authors: EM
authors: Brolazo
authors: Jose Antonio
authors: JA
authors: Simões
authors: Maria Elena Fátima
authors: ME
authors: Nader
authors: Maria Silvina Juárez
authors: MS
authors: Tomás
authors: Gustavo Bueno
authors: GB
authors: Gregoracci
authors: Camila
authors: C
authors: Marconi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*