Prevalent bacterial vaginosis infection - a risk factor for incident sexually transmitted infections in women in Durban, South Africa.

The association between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and incident sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a cohort of high-risk women from Durban, South Africa was investigated in this study. We undertook a secondary analysis of the Methods for Improving Reproductive Health in Africa trial that assessed effectiveness of the latex diaphragm and lubricant gel on HIV prevention among women. During study visits, urine specimens were collected for testing for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis The presence of BV was based on vaginal pH and wet mount test assessments. The association between BV and the risk for incident STIs was determined using the Cox proportional hazards model. Prevalence of BV was 31% in a cohort of 435 women tested at baseline. Among these women, BV was significantly associated with incident Trichomonas vaginalis (14.6 per 100 PY, p = 0.03) and Chlamydia trachomatis infections (15.8 per 100 PY, p = 0.04). BV remained a significant predictor for Trichomonas vaginalis infections even after adjusting for potential confounders such as age and marital status (HR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.00, 2.57, p = 0.04). Our study showed an association between baseline BV infections and incident Trichomonas vaginalis and Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Women with BV infections should be counselled on the use of condoms and the risk of new STIs.

Abbai NS ，Reddy T ，Ramjee G 《-》

Perceived stress and incident sexually transmitted infections in a prospective cohort.

Psychosocial stress has been associated with susceptibility to many infectious pathogens. We evaluated the association between perceived stress and incident sexually transmitted infections (STIs; Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis genital infections) in a prospective study of women. Stress may increase vulnerability to STIs by suppressing immune function and altering the protective vaginal microbiota. Using the 1999 Longitudinal Study of Vaginal Flora (n = 2439), a primarily African American cohort of women, we fitted Cox proportional hazards models to examine the association between perceived stress and incident STIs. We tested bacterial vaginosis (measured by Nugent Score) and sexual behaviors (condom use, number of partners, and partner concurrence) as mediators using VanderWeele's difference method. Baseline perceived stress was associated with incident STIs both before and after adjusting for confounders (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.015; 95% confidence interval, 1.005-1.026). Nugent score and sexual behaviors significantly mediated 21% and 65% of this adjusted association, respectively, and 78% when included together in the adjusted model. This study advances understanding of the relationship between perceived stress and STIs and identifies high-risk sexual behaviors and development of bacterial vaginosis-both known risk factors for STIs-as mechanisms underlying this association.

Turpin R ，Brotman RM ，Miller RS ，Klebanoff MA ，He X ，Slopen N ... -  《-》

Bacterial vaginosis-associated vaginal microbiota is an age-independent risk factor for Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Trichomonas vaginalis infections in low-risk women, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Shipitsyna E ，Khusnutdinova T ，Budilovskaya O ，Krysanova A ，Shalepo K ，Savicheva A ，Unemo M ... -  《-》

Prevalence and correlates of bacterial vaginosis in different sub-populations of women in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional study.

Jespers V ，Crucitti T ，Menten J ，Verhelst R ，Mwaura M ，Mandaliya K ，Ndayisaba GF ，Delany-Moretlwe S ，Verstraelen H ，Hardy L ，Buvé A ，van de Wijgert J ，Vaginal Biomarkers Study Group ... -  《-》

Molecular Identification of Cervical Microbes in HIV-Negative and HIV-Positive Women in an African Setting Using a Customized Bacterial Vaginosis Microbial DNA Quantitative PCR (qPCR) Array.

Taku O ，Onywera H ，Mbulawa ZZA ，Businge CB ，Meiring TL ，Williamson AL ... -  《Microbiology Spectrum》