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Bacterial vaginosis - Transmission, role in genital tract infection and pregnancy outcome: An enigma

Larsson, P G ; Bergstrom, M ; Forsum, U ; Jacobsson, B ; Strand, A and Wölner-Hanssen, Pål LU (2005) In APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica 113(4). p.233-245
Abstract
Larsson PG, Bergstrom M. Forsum U, Jacobsson B, Strand A, Wolner-Hanssen P Bacterial vaginosis. Transmission, role in genital tract infection and pregnancy outcome: an enigma. APMIS 2005; 113:233-45. Whether bacterial vaginosis (BV) is acquired from an endogenous or an exogenous source is subject to controversy Despite findings of an association between sexual behaviour and BV some data indicate that BV is not a sexually transmitted infection in the traditional sense, while other data indicate Thai BV is an exogenous infection. A third aspect of BV is its tendency to go unnoticed by affected women. All of this will have a strong impact on how physicians view the risks of asymptomatic BV This review focuses on whether or not BV should be... (More)
Larsson PG, Bergstrom M. Forsum U, Jacobsson B, Strand A, Wolner-Hanssen P Bacterial vaginosis. Transmission, role in genital tract infection and pregnancy outcome: an enigma. APMIS 2005; 113:233-45. Whether bacterial vaginosis (BV) is acquired from an endogenous or an exogenous source is subject to controversy Despite findings of an association between sexual behaviour and BV some data indicate that BV is not a sexually transmitted infection in the traditional sense, while other data indicate Thai BV is an exogenous infection. A third aspect of BV is its tendency to go unnoticed by affected women. All of this will have a strong impact on how physicians view the risks of asymptomatic BV This review focuses on whether or not BV should be regarded as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), its role in postoperative infections and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and on whether or not treatment of BV during pregnancy to reduce preterm delivery should be recommended. The reviewed studies do not lend unequivocal support to an endogenous or exogenous transmission of the bacteria present in BV. For women undergoing gynaecological surgery such as therapeutic abortion, the relative risk of postoperative infection is clearly elevated (approx. 2.3-2.8). A weaker association exists between BV and pelvic inflammatory disease. Data on treatment of BV as a way of reducing preterm delivery are inconclusive and do not support recommendations for general treatment of BV during pregnancy. The discrepant associations between BV and preterm birth found in recent studies may be explained by variations in immunological response to BV Genetic polymorphism in the cytokine response - both regarding the TNF alleles and in interleukin production - could make women more or less susceptible to BV, causing different risks of preterm birth. Thus, studies on the vaginal inflammatory response to microbial colonization should be given priority. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
preterm, postoperative complications, risk, bacterial vaginosis, review, delivery
in
APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica
volume
113
issue
4
pages
233 - 245
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:15865604
  • wos:000229073800001
  • scopus:18744400231
ISSN
1600-0463
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0463.2005.apm_01.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2f23f1a4-9ae0-4676-b076-88f7b688207b (old id 240661)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:43:30
date last changed
2022-04-20 20:46:56
@article{2f23f1a4-9ae0-4676-b076-88f7b688207b,
  abstract     = {{Larsson PG, Bergstrom M. Forsum U, Jacobsson B, Strand A, Wolner-Hanssen P Bacterial vaginosis. Transmission, role in genital tract infection and pregnancy outcome: an enigma. APMIS 2005; 113:233-45. Whether bacterial vaginosis (BV) is acquired from an endogenous or an exogenous source is subject to controversy Despite findings of an association between sexual behaviour and BV some data indicate that BV is not a sexually transmitted infection in the traditional sense, while other data indicate Thai BV is an exogenous infection. A third aspect of BV is its tendency to go unnoticed by affected women. All of this will have a strong impact on how physicians view the risks of asymptomatic BV This review focuses on whether or not BV should be regarded as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), its role in postoperative infections and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and on whether or not treatment of BV during pregnancy to reduce preterm delivery should be recommended. The reviewed studies do not lend unequivocal support to an endogenous or exogenous transmission of the bacteria present in BV. For women undergoing gynaecological surgery such as therapeutic abortion, the relative risk of postoperative infection is clearly elevated (approx. 2.3-2.8). A weaker association exists between BV and pelvic inflammatory disease. Data on treatment of BV as a way of reducing preterm delivery are inconclusive and do not support recommendations for general treatment of BV during pregnancy. The discrepant associations between BV and preterm birth found in recent studies may be explained by variations in immunological response to BV Genetic polymorphism in the cytokine response - both regarding the TNF alleles and in interleukin production - could make women more or less susceptible to BV, causing different risks of preterm birth. Thus, studies on the vaginal inflammatory response to microbial colonization should be given priority.}},
  author       = {{Larsson, P G and Bergstrom, M and Forsum, U and Jacobsson, B and Strand, A and Wölner-Hanssen, Pål}},
  issn         = {{1600-0463}},
  keywords     = {{preterm; postoperative complications; risk; bacterial vaginosis; review; delivery}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{233--245}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Bacterial vaginosis - Transmission, role in genital tract infection and pregnancy outcome: An enigma}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0463.2005.apm_01.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1600-0463.2005.apm_01.x}},
  volume       = {{113}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}