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. 2013 Feb;208(2):132.e1-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.11.019. Epub 2012 Nov 19.

Associations between vaginal bacteria and levels of vaginal defensins in pregnant women

Caroline Mitchell  1 , Michelle L Gottsch, Congzhou Liu, David N Fredricks, Deborah B Nelson
Affiliations

Associations between vaginal bacteria and levels of vaginal defensins in pregnant women

Caroline Mitchell et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: We evaluated vaginal defensin concentrations and levels of bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterial species in pregnant women.

Study design: Self-collected vaginal swabs from 2 visits during pregnancy were tested with quantitative polymerase chain reaction for 9 bacterial species. Beta defensins 2-3 and alpha defensins 1-3 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Our 126 participants were primarily African American (60%), had a mean gestational age at enrollment of 10 ± 3 weeks and at follow-up visit of 25 ± 6 weeks. At enrollment, the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 74% (94/126 women), which decreased to 60% (75/126 specimens) at follow-up visit. At enrollment, beta defensin 3 concentrations were significantly lower in women with bacterial vaginosis (2.64 ± 0.91 vs 3.25 ± 0.99 log(10) pg/mL; P = .003). Higher concentrations of Atopobium vaginae, bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria1 and 2 were associated with significantly lower concentrations of beta defensin 3 (P < .01).

Conclusion: Bacterial vaginosis was associated with lower vaginal concentrations of beta defensin 3, but not beta defensin 2 or alpha defensins 1-3, in pregnant women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: None of the authors report any conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean concentrations of bacterial species at enrollment and follow-up visits in women with and without BV at enrollment. *signifies a significant difference between enrollment and follow-up by paired t-test, p < 0.05
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean concentrations of vaginal defensins in women with and without BV * signifies a significant difference between women with and without BV by t-test, p < 0.05
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean concentrations of HBD3 by quartile of bacterial concentration for each species at enrollment. * signifies a significant difference in HBD3 concentrations between quartiles, as measured by linear regression, p < 0.05. Samples with no detectable bacteria or defensin are included in calculations of mean or quartile values with a value at the lower limit of detection of the assay
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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