Use of Continuous Culture to Model Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis
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Authors
Beloglavec, Sara
Issue Date
2007
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal tract infection seen in women of
childbearing age in primary health care. In this polymicrobial condition, an alteration of
vaginal microflora occurs where the lactobacilli that are usually dominant in the healthy
vaginal tract are replaced by an overgrowth of Gardnerella vaginalis and anaerobic
bacteria. The cause of this ecological shift in the vaginal micro flora is incompletely
understood. Previous studies conducted in this laboratory isolated the vaginally-derived
bacterium Enterococcus faecium 62-6, which is antagonistic to the growth of vaginal
lactobacilli. The goal of the current study was to use continuous culture to model whether
established populations of bacteriocin-producing E. faecium 62-6 could prevent
Lactobacillus populations from establishing in the vaginal tract. Introduction of the
sensitive Lactobacillus strain, L. acidophilus 4-1, showed an initial decline in
concentration following exposure to E. faecium 62-6 and its bacteriocin; however, this
was followed by an increase in concentration. The initial concentration decline of strain
4-1 was not observed when strain 62-6 failed to produce its bacteriocin. Strains of
LactoDacilli, resistant to the strain 62-6 bacteriocin, L. casei 62-5 and L. acidophilus 46-
I, in the presence of strain 62-6 and its bacteriocin were able to establish at levels slightly
lower than those observed in monoculture. These results do not unequivocally support
our hypothesis that bacteriocin production is one mechanism that could prevent the
establishment of vaginal lactobacilli and thus promote recurrent BV. However, the initial
bacteriocin-dependent decline in concentration of sensitive lactobacilli, as observed for
strain 4-1, could open a niche for the opportunistic organisms associated with BV and in
this way contribute to recurrent BV.
Description
v, 27 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
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