title: Treatment of vitamin D deficiency is an effective method in the elimination of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis: A placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent vaginal infection in women of reproductive age group which has been found to be associated with vitamin D deficiency. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the administration of 2000 IU/day edible vitamin D for 15 wk to eliminate asymptomatic BV among reproductive age women with vitamin D deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 208 women with asymptomatic BV, who were found to be eligible after interviews and laboratory tests, were randomly assigned to a control group (n=106) or an intervention group (n=105). They used vitamin D drops daily for 105 days. Vaginal and blood samples were taken before and after the second intervention using identical methods (Nugent score for BV diagnosis, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D for vitamin D determination).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cure rate of asymptomatic BV was 63.5 per cent in the intervention and 19.2 per cent in the control group (P <0.001). The results showed that being unmarried (P=0.02), being passive smoker (P<0.001), and being in the luteal phase of a menstrual cycle during sampling (P=0.01) were significantly associated with post-intervention BV positive results. After these elements were controlled, the odds of BV positive results in the control group was 10.8 times more than in the intervention group (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among women in reproductive age group with vitamin D deficiency, the administration of 2000 IU/day edible vitamin D was effective in eliminating asymptomatic BV. This treatment could be useful in preventing the symptoms and side effects of BV.
authors.forename: Mahshid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baheiraei
authors.forename: Abbas Rahimi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Foroushani
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nikmanesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modarres
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016015:Logistic Models; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D