The results do not provide sufficient evidence for or against recommending probiotics for the treatment of BV .
BACKGROUND The dominance of lactobacilli in healthy vaginal microbiota and its depletion in bacterial vaginosis ( BV ) has given rise to the concept of oral or vaginal instillation of probiotic Lactobacillus strains for the management of this condition .
OBJECTIVES To ascertain the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of BV .
Clinical study comparing probiotic Lactobacillus GR-1 and RC-14 with metronidazole vaginal gel to treat symptomatic bacterial vaginosis.
Bacterial vaginosis ( BV ) is particularly common in black women , and in Nigeria it is often caused by Mycoplasma , as well as Atopobium , Prevotella and Gardnerella sp. Antimicrobial metronidazole oral therapy is poorly effective in eradicating the condition and restoring the Lactobacillus microbiota in the vagina . In this study , 40 women diagnosed with BV by discharge , fishy odor , sialidase positive test and Nugent Gram stain scoring , were r and omized to receive either two dried capsules containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 each night for 5 days , or 0.75 % metronidazole gel , applied vaginally twice a day ( in the morning and evening ) . Follow-up at day 6 , 15 and 30 showed cure of BV in significantly more probiotic treated subjects ( 16 , 17 and 18/20 , respectively ) compared to metronidazole treatment ( 9 , 9 and 11/20 : P=0.016 at day 6 , P=0.002 at day 15 and P=0.056 at day 30 ) . This is the first report of an effective ( 90 % ) cure of BV using probiotic lactobacilli . Given the correlation between BV and HIV , and the high risk of the latter in Nigeria , intravaginal use of lactobacilli could provide women with a self-use therapy , similar to over-the-counter anti-yeast medication , for treatment of urogenital infections
The results do not provide sufficient evidence for or against recommending probiotics for the treatment of BV .
BACKGROUND The dominance of lactobacilli in healthy vaginal microbiota and its depletion in bacterial vaginosis ( BV ) has given rise to the concept of oral or vaginal instillation of probiotic Lactobacillus strains for the management of this condition .
OBJECTIVES To ascertain the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of BV .