title: Lysozyme as a cotreatment during antibiotics use against vaginal infections: An in vitro study on Gardnerella vaginalis biofilm models.
abstract: Bacterial vaginoses are frequent in women, most of them involving Gardnerella vaginalis. In more than 50% of the cases, usual antibiotic treatments are not capable of eliminating completely the infection, leading to recurrent vaginosis. In addition to the appearance of antibiotic resistance, recurrence can be due to the development of a biofilm by G. vaginalis. In vitro experiments on G. vaginalis biofilms showed that the biofilm protected bacteria from the antibiotic clindamycin. Also, recombinant human lysozyme (rhLys) was able to both degrade biofilms and prevent their formation. This degradation effect persisted whenever other vaginal commensal or pathogenic microorganisms were added to the culture and on each tested clinical biofilm-producing strain of G. vaginalis. The co-administration of rhLys and clindamycin or metronidazole improved both antibiotics' efficiency and lysozyme-driven biofilm degradation. The comparison of both clindamycin and metronidazole antibacterial spectra showed that metronidazole was preferable to treat vaginosis. This suggests that human lysozyme could be added as an anti-biofilm cotreatment to vaginal antibiotherapy, preferably metronidazole, against Gardnerella vaginalis infection in vivo. [Int Microbiol 19(2): 101-107 (2016)].
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Histology-CRPP, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Thellin
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Histology-CRPP, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zorzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Histology-CRPP, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zorzi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Pathology (LEP), GIGA-Cancer, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delvenne
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Histology-CRPP, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Histology-CRPP, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benaïssa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: ElMoualij
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Histology-CRPP, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quatresooz
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009113:Muramidase / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009113:Muramidase
keywords: Gardnerella vaginalis; biofilms in pathogens; clindamycin; metronidazole; recombinant human lysozyme