Background/Objectives: Consisting of B10 14 microbial cells, the intestinal microbiota represents the largest and the most complex microbial community inhabiting the human body. However, the influence of regular diets on the microbiota is widely unknown. Subjects/Methods: We examined faecal samples of vegetarians (n ¼ 144), vegans (n ¼ 105) and an equal number of control subjects consuming ordinary omnivorous diet who were matched for age and gender. We used classical bacteriological isolation, identification and enumeration of the main anaerobic and aerobic bacterial genera and computed absolute and relative numbers that were compared between groups. Results: Total counts of Bacteroides spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae spp. were significantly lower (P ¼ 0.001, P ¼ 0.002, P ¼ 0.006 and P ¼ 0.008, respectively) in vegan samples than in controls, whereas others (E. coli biovars, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., other Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Citrobacter spp. and Clostridium spp.) were not. Subjects on a vegetarian diet ranked between vegans and controls. The total microbial count did not differ between the groups. In addition, subjects on a vegan or vegetarian diet showed significantly (P ¼ 0.0001) lower stool pH than did controls, and stool pH and counts of E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae were significantly correlated across all subgroups. Conclusions: Maintaining a strict vegan or vegetarian diet results in a significant shift in the microbiota while total cell numbers remain unaltered.

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Conventional microbiological investigations of the fecal microbiota showed both bacteria-specific as well as a general pattern of ageing of the colonic microbiota, with the last decades (more than 60 years) demonstrating the most profound changes. It remains to be shown whether these changes reflect direct changes of the gut microbiota, the mucosal innate immunity, or indirect consequences of age-related altered nutrition.

The composition of colonic mircoflora and its changes with maturation have rarely been investigated in large samples. Methods. We used conventional microbiological testing to analyse the colonic flora (Kyberstatus, Institut forMicroecology, Herborn, Germany) of stool samples from 12 484 children with different intestinal and nonintestinal diagnoses. Stool samples were analysed for total colony forming units (CFU) (per g stool) and the abundance of Bifidobacteria, Bacteroides sp., Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp. with respect to age, gender. A subset of 1089 infants was analysed for monthly changes within the first year of life. Results. Total CFU and individual microbial species were highest during the first year of life, decreased within the first 2 years, and then stabilized for the remaining childhood. In infants, the total CFU rose until month 5, declined with weaning, and peaked at 9–10 months. Significant effects of age, but not of gender, were found in Bacteroides sp. and Lactobacilli. However Bacterioids sp. and Lactobacilli increased with age, while Enterococci and E. coli decreased, and Bifidobacteria remained stable. Conclusion. Colonic microflora show both a bacteria-specific and general pattern of maturation which is most profound within the first year.

BackroundVaginitis is among the most common conditions women are seeking medical care for. Although these infections can easily be treated, the relapse rate is high. This may be due to inadequate use of the diagnostic potential.MethodsWe evaluated the misjudgement rate of the aetiology of vaginal complaints. A total of 220 vaginal samples from women with a vaginal complaint were obtained and analysed for numbers of total lactobacilli, H2O2-producing lactobacilli, total aerobic cell counts and total anaerobic cell counts including bifidobacteria, Bacteroides spp., Prevotella spp. Additionally, the presence of Atopobium vaginae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Candida spp. and Trichomonas vaginalis was evaluated by DNA-hybridisation using the PCR and Affirm VPIII Microbial Identification Test, respectively.ResultsThe participating physicians diagnosed Bacterial vaginosis (BV) as origin of discomfort in 80 cases, candidiasis in 109 cases and mixed infections in 8 cases. However, a present BV, defined as lack of H2O2-lactobacilli, presence of marker organisms, such as G. vaginalis, Bacteroides spp. or Atopobium vaginae, and an elevated pH were identified in only 45 cases of the women examined. Candida spp. were detected in 46 cases. Interestingly, an elevated pH corresponded solely to the presence of Atopobium vaginae, which was detected in 11 cases.ConclusionErrors in the diagnosis of BV and candida vulvovaginitis (CV) were high. Interestingly, the cases of misjudgement of CV (77%) were more numerous than that of BV (61%). The use of Amsel criteria or microscopy did not reduce the number of misinterpretations. The study reveals that the misdiagnosis of vaginal complaints is rather high.