Overall , lactobacilli were beneficial for the treatment of patients with bacterial vaginosis .
No clear benefit was seen for c and idiasis or urinary tract infection .
In conclusion , the use of certain lactobacillus strains such as L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri for prevention and treatment of recurrent urogenital infection is promising , especially for recurrent bacterial vaginosis .
Abstract Probiotics are increasingly being used to treat and prevent urogenital infections .
However , a critical assessment of their efficacy in major urogenital infections is lacking .
We report the results of a systematic review to determine the efficacy of probiotics for prevention or treatment of three major urogenital infections : bacterial vaginosis , vulvovaginal c and idiasis , and urinary tract infection .
Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis with Lactobacilli
60 women with bacterial vaginosis were entered into a double blind , placebo-controlled treatment trial with lyophilized Lactobacillus acidophilus . The lactobacilli used were producing H2O2 . Immediately after completion of treatment , 16 out of 28 women who were treated with lactobacilli had normal vaginal wet smear results , in comparison to none of the 29 women treated with placebo . All women harboured Bacteroides at inclusion . Bacteroides was eliminated from the vagina of 12 out of 16 healthy women after treatment . Only three of the women who received the Lactobacillus suppository were free of bacterial vaginosis after the subsequent menstruation
Overall , lactobacilli were beneficial for the treatment of patients with bacterial vaginosis .
No clear benefit was seen for c and idiasis or urinary tract infection .
In conclusion , the use of certain lactobacillus strains such as L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri for prevention and treatment of recurrent urogenital infection is promising , especially for recurrent bacterial vaginosis .
Abstract Probiotics are increasingly being used to treat and prevent urogenital infections .
However , a critical assessment of their efficacy in major urogenital infections is lacking .
We report the results of a systematic review to determine the efficacy of probiotics for prevention or treatment of three major urogenital infections : bacterial vaginosis , vulvovaginal c and idiasis , and urinary tract infection .