Prevalence of fungi in the vagina, rectum and oral cavity in pregnant diabetic women: relation to gestational age and symptoms

Abstract

The risk of vaginal mycoses in DM women is more that four times higher and in pregnancies with GDM nearly two times higher than in controls. The risk of trifocal mycosis in DM women is nearly three times higher than in nondiabetics. There is a poor correlation between symptoms of vaginitis and fungal infection. We did not confirm the influence of the gestational age on the prevalence of fungi.

Lower circulating levels of complement split proteins C3a and C4a in maternal plasma of women with gestational diabetes mellitus

“…Certainly, there is evidence that high glucose interferes with the innate function of the complement system and impairs the ability of the host to combat infection, even although certain distinctive pro-inflammatory alterations of the immune response can be observed under these conditions [25]. This is in keeping with women with gestational diabetes having recurrent or persistent infections during pregnancy, including bladder infections and vaginal yeast infections [26,27].…”

Species distribution and influence of glycemic control on fungal infections in pregnant women with diabetes

“…The risk of oral cavity and rectum invasion was similar in diabetic and non-diabetic women. 4 On course of the mycological examination of 212 strains 12 species were identified. The great majority (89.8%) of examined strains isolated from vagina, rectum and oral cavity belonged to Candida gender, mainly represented by C. albicans (73.1%).…”

Candida vulvovaginitis in pregnancy

“…Vaginal colonization in established diabetics is well-known to be increased in pregnant and nonpregnant women [13,19]. The risk of vaginal Candida colonization and infection was more than four times higher in pregnant women, compared with nondiabetic controls in a recent Polish study [20].…”

“…Accordingly, symptomatic VVC was observed in 60% to 90% of pregnant vaginal carriers [5,13,14]. Furthermore, recurrent attacks are also considered to be more common in pregnant women, with almost 50% of the symptomatic women suffering a second episode during the same pregnancy [15].…”