Clinical and laboratory associations in heterosexual couples with recurrent bacterial vaginosis

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Abstract

Background. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a major public health problem due to its frequent recurrence, potential for complications, and association with sexually transmitted infections. To date, there is no single point of view on the participation of sexual partners in the occurrence and recurrence of this disease.

Objective. Evaluation of the clinical and laboratory associations in women with recurrent BV (RBV) and their sexual partners.

Methods. From 2010 to 2018, a retrospective cross-sectional study assessed the relationship of microbiota and clinical manifestations in RBV in women and their sexual partners. The study included 164 patients with a mean age of 30.51±6.73 years, among them 82 women with confirmed RBV (28.89±5.89) and 82 of their sexual partners (32.13±7.15). Before inclusion in the study, all patients underwent microscopy of the discharge from the urethra, vagina, cervical canal, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) – examination of the discharge from the urethra and cervical canal for the presence of reproductively significant infections, quantitative assessment of opportunistic microbiota by real-time PCR with a diagnostic system «Femoflor-16».

Results. BV-associated microorganisms (BVAM) Gardnerella vaginalis/Prevotella bivia/Porphyromonas spp. with a high burden for women with RBV were closely associated with the clinical manifestations of both RBV and balanoposthitis in their sexual partners. Urethritis was rare in sexual partners who had and did not have manifestations of balanoposthitis. Coincidences between BVAM for one or more microorganisms within sexual pairs were revealed.

Conclusion. Dysbiotic microbiota in women with RBV is detected in the urethra of sexual partners and can cause balanoposthitis. It is possible that the BV recurrence is associated with the exchange of genital microbiota during unprotected intercourse. It is possible that this fact may play an important role in the pathogenesis of RBV.

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About the authors

Irina G. Afanasyeva

Irkutsk State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: irishaaf@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5425-2826

Can. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor, Department of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology, Clinic of Skin Diseases

Russian Federation, Irkutsk

I. O. Malova

Irkutsk State Medical University

Email: irishaaf@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5078-1955

Department of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology

Russian Federation, Irkutsk

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig.1. Frequency of occurrence of UPM in patients of subgroup A1 (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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3. Fig.2. Frequency of occurrence of UPM in patients of subgroup A2 (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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4. Fig.3. Frequency of occurrence of UPM in patients of subgroup B1 (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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5. Fig.4. Frequency of occurrence of UPM in patients of subgroup B2 (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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6. Fig.5. Comparative analysis of the concentration (LgGE/ml) of vaginal microbiota in patients of group A (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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7. Fig.6. Comparative analysis of the concentration (LgGE/ml) of vaginal microbiota in patients of group B (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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8. Fig.7. Comparative analysis of the concentration (LgGE/ml) of vaginal microbiota between subgroups of women A1 and B1 (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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9. Fig.8. Comparative analysis of the concentration (LgGE/ml) of the urethral microbiota between subgroups of men A2 (with symptoms of BD) and B2 (without BD) (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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10. Fig.9. Complaints of patients of subgroup A2 (with BD) (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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11. Fig. 10. Objective clinical symptoms in patients of subgroup A2 (with BD) (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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12. Fig. 11. Objective clinical symptoms of patients in subgroup B2 (without BB) (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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13. Fig. 12. Leukocytosis in the urethra of patients of A2 and B2 subgroups and its relationship with BVAM (Sneathia spp./Leptotrichia spp./Fusobacterium spp. (I.G. Afanasyeva et al., 2023)

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