title: Associations between vaginal bacteria and levels of vaginal defensins in pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated vaginal defensin concentrations and levels of bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterial species in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-collected vaginal swabs from 2 visits during pregnancy were tested with quantitative polymerase chain reaction for 9 bacterial species. Beta defensins 2-3 and alpha defensins 1-3 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our 126 participants were primarily African American (60%), had a mean gestational age at enrollment of 10 ± 3 weeks and at follow-up visit of 25 ± 6 weeks. At enrollment, the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 74% (94/126 women), which decreased to 60% (75/126 specimens) at follow-up visit. At enrollment, beta defensin 3 concentrations were significantly lower in women with bacterial vaginosis (2.64 ± 0.91 vs 3.25 ± 0.99 log(10) pg/mL; P = .003). Higher concentrations of Atopobium vaginae, bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria1 and 2 were associated with significantly lower concentrations of beta defensin 3 (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bacterial vaginosis was associated with lower vaginal concentrations of beta defensin 3, but not beta defensin 2 or alpha defensins 1-3, in pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harborview Women's Clinic, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gottsch
authors.forename: Congzhou
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Fredricks
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult; D023084:alpha-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism*; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D023084:alpha-Defensins; D023083:beta-Defensins