Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in Portuguese pregnant women and vaginal colonization by Gardnerella vaginalis

PeerJ

article

Daniela Machado¹  Joana Castro¹  José Martinez-de-Oliveira³  Cristina Nogueira-Silva⁵  Nuno Cerca¹ 

[1] Centre of Biological Engineering ,(CEB), Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Rosário Oliveira ,(LIBRO), University of Minho;Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto;Women & Child Health Department, Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira EPE;CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital de Braga;Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho;ICVS/3B’s

关键词: Bacterial vaginosis;    Gardnerella vaginalis;    Pregnancy;    Risk factors;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.3750

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundWe aimed to determine the prevalence of vaginal colonization by Gardnerella vaginalis and of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in Portuguese pregnant women, and to identify risk factors for BV and G. vaginalis colonization in pregnancy.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women aged ≥ 18 years who were attending in two public hospitals of the Northwest region of Portugal. Epidemiological data was collected by anonymous questionnaire. BV was diagnosed by Nugent criteria and G. vaginalis presence was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Crude associations between the study variables and BV or G. vaginalis colonization were quantified by odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe prevalences of BV and of G. vaginalis colonization among Portuguese pregnant women were 3.88% and 67.48%, respectively. Previous preterm delivery and colonization by G. vaginalis were factors with very high OR, but only statistically significant for a 90% CI. Conversely, higher rates of G. vaginalis colonization were found in women with basic educational level (OR = 2.77, 95% CI [1.33–5.78]), during the second trimester of pregnancy (OR = 6.12, 95% CI [1.80–20.85]) and with BV flora (OR = 8.73, 95% CI [0.50–153.60]).DiscussionDespite the lower number of women with BV, prevalence ratios and association with risk factors were similar to recent European studies. However, the percentage of healthy women colonized by G. vaginalis was significantly higher than many previous studies, confirming that G. vaginalis colonization does not always lead to BV development.

【 授权许可】

CC BY