Quantification of normal vaginal constituents using a new wet preparation technique.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a new method for preparing vaginal wet preparations to enable quantification of cells and lactobacilli. The current nonstandardized technique allows for a variable amount of vaginal fluid collected, diluted by a variable amount of saline/KOH, and no quantification of constituents.

Materials: The vaginal fluids from 100 randomly selected women without vulvovaginitis symptoms presenting to the author's practice at Mayo Clinic underwent analysis by the quantification technique.

Expansion of altered vaginal flora states in vaginitis to include a spectrum of microflora.

Objective: To define the existence of 2 patterns of altered vaginal flora in symptomatic women identified on wet preparations that are not in the current vaginitis classification system.

Study Design: Testing of vaginal secretions from gynecologic patients at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, who presented with vulvo-vaginal symptoms by vaginal pH, whiff testing, and saline and potassium hydroxide wet preparations. Over 14 years, approximately 5,000 samples were analyzed.

Activated lactoferrin's ability to inhibit Candida growth and block yeast adhesion to the vaginal epithelial monolayer.

Objective: To study in vitro growth-inhibitory effects of activated lactoferrin (ALF) against vaginal isolates of Candida species and to measure the ability of ALF to block interactions of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata to the vaginal epithelial (VE) monolayer.

Study Design: In vitro effects of ALF on growth of C albicans and C glabrata in Sabouraud dextrose (SD) broth were measured as change in broth turbidity by microscale optical density assay. ALF was tested at 5 and 2.

Activated lactoferrin and fluconazole synergism against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata vaginal isolates.

Objective: To evaluate the fungistatic activity of activated lactoferrin (ALF), fluconazole (FCN) individually and in combination against Candida vaginal isolates as well as to measure the time to recovery from the fungistatic effects after exposure in vitro to threshold minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC).

Study Design: Fungistasis patterns for ALF (2.5 mg/mL) and FCN (0.