title: The role of lactobacilli and probiotics in maintaining vaginal health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The vaginal microbiota of healthy women consists typically of a diversity of anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. Lactobacilli are the most prevalent and often numerically dominant microorganisms and are relevant as a barrier to infection. The capacity of lactobacilli to adhere and compete for adhesion sites in the vaginal epithelium and the capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds (hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid, bacteriocin-like substances), are important in the impairment of colonization by pathogens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review summarizes the role of lactic acid bacteria in preventing illness of the host, including bacterial vaginosis, yeast vaginitis, urinary tract infection and sexually transmitted diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The administration of probiotics that colonize the vaginal tract can be important in maintaining a normal urogenital health and also to prevent or treat infections.
authors.affiliation: CBQF, Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Centro Regional do Porto da Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000502:physiology*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents