Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate prevalence of bacteria most frequently associated with bacterial vaginosis using Amsel’s criteria as well as to quantify these bacteria by real-time PCR and to explore the difference in their quantity between healthy and bacterial vaginosis samples. Methodology: For classification of vaginal discharge samples Amsel’s criteria have been used. To detect and quantify Gardnerella vaginalis Atopobium vaginae, Lactobacillus spp. and total vaginal microbiome, real-time PCR has been applied. Results: According to results of our study Amsel’s criteria matched well with real-time PCR diversification of healthy women and women with BV. Nevertheless, real-time PCR has been more sensitive in diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. DNA quantification of bacteria demonstrated that mutual abundance of G.vaginalis and A. vaginae was good bacterial vaginosis marker . On the contrary, Lactobacillus spp. was present in high amount in both healthy and bacterial vaginosis samples, but ratio of investigated bacteria was different between them. In fact, G. vaginalis and A. vaginae comprised only 0.1% of total microbiome in healthy, whereas Lactobacillus spp. took 99.3% of it. Nonetheless, in bacterial vaginosis, G. vaginalis and A. vaginae made up 34.4% of total microbiome, while Lactobacillus spp. was 21.6%. Conclusions: According to the results of our study real-time PCR analysis was more sensitive in diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis than Amsel’s method, as well as it represented fine tool in making a difference between microbial entities in healthy and bacterial vaginosis samples.
Background/Aim: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is common cause of vaginal discomfort in women. The aim of this study was comparison of Nugent's scoring system and novel microscopy method, introduced in our laboratory and used in BV diagnosis. Methods: 705 pregnant and asymptomatic women between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy participated in this prospective study. Degree of agreement between methods was determined by kappa index. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of novel microscopy method was compared to Nugent's score as standard. Results: Based on scoring system of both methods, Nugent and novel microscopy method, BV was diagnosed in 21%, and 25% of women, respectively. Despite the disparities among diagnostic criteria, which mainly concerned classification of intermediary samples, the degree of agreement between categories, determined by kappa index, was satisfactory: Nugent vs novel microscopy method (?=0,68; good agreement), and Nugent vs novel microscopy method without intermediary results (?=0,83; very good agreement). We also demonstrated that compared to Nugent, as golden standard, novel microscopy method had high sensitivity and specificity (ranging from 75%-99.3%), and positive and negative predictive values (ranging from 88.8%-99.5%). Conclusion: novel microscopy method in diagnosis of BV, corresponded well with Nugent's scoring system which allows it to be an alternative method in diagnosing of BV. Our method is based on relative number of bacterial morphotypes, either rod forms (? 1.5?m, lactobacilli) or non-rod forms (< 1.5?m, bacterial vaginosis associated bacteria) under 200x magnification, which extends the surface of examined preparation, but without prolongation of observer's working time. Furthermore, novel microscopy method appeared to be flexible and can be reorganized in the way to categorize findings into only two groups: normal and BV, which makes it comparable to dichotomous Amsel's clinical criterion.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.