Gardnerella Biofilm Involves Females and Males and Is Transmitted Sexually

作者：Alexander V. Swidsinski, Yvonne Döerffel, Vera A Loening-Baucke, Sonja Swidsinski, Hans Verstraelen, Mario Vaneechoutte, Vesna Lemm, Johannes Schilling, Werner Mendling · 发表于：Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation · 年份：2010 · DOI：10.1159/000314015 · 被引用次数：137 · 研究领域：Reproductive tract infections research、Neonatal and Maternal Infections、Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence and distribution of adherent Gardnerella vaginalis. METHODS: Bacteria adherent to desquamated epithelial cells in the urine were detected using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Urine from patients with bacterial vaginosis (BV, n = 20), their partners (n = 10) and different control populations (n = 344) including pregnant women and their partners, randomly selected populations of hospitalized man, women and children as also healthy controls was investigated. RESULTS: Gardnerella was found in two different forms: cohesive and dispersed. In the cohesive form, Gardnerella were attached to the epithelial cells in groups of highly concentrated bacteria. In the dispersed form, solitary Gardnerella were intermixed with other bacterial groups. Cohesive Gardnerella was present in all patients with proven BV and their partners, in 7% of men and 13% of women hospitalized for reasons other than BV, in 16% of pregnant women and 12% of their male partners, and in none of the healthy laboratory staff or children. In sexual partners, occurrence of cohesive Gardnerella was clearly linked. Dispersed Gardnerella were found in 10-18% of randomly selected females, 3-4% of males and 10% of children and not sexually linked. In daily longitudinal investigations over 4 weeks no transition between cohesive and dispersed Gardnerella and vice versa was observed. Transmission of a cohesive Gardnerella strain could be followed retrospectively over 15 years using ...