Effects of lactoferrin in 6 patients with refractory bacterial vaginosis

• Published in: Biochemistry and cell biology Vol. 95; no. 1; pp. 31 - 33
• Main Authors: Otsuki, Katsufumi, Imai, Noriaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada NRC Research Press 01.02.2017; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Bacteria; Bacteria - pathogenicity; Care and treatment; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - drug effects; Female; Flora; Health aspects; Humans; Lactobacillus; Lactoferrin - therapeutic use; Lactoferrins; Medical treatment; Mice; Miscarriage; Pregnancy; Premature birth; Premature Birth - prevention & control; Prevention; Rabbits; Rodents; Vagina - microbiology; Vaginosis; Vaginosis, Bacterial - microbiology; Vaginosis, Bacterial - therapy; intrauterine infection; cervical inflammation; inflammation du col utérin; accouchement prématuré; infection intra-utérine; preterm delivery; Lactobacillus
• ISSN: 0829-8211; 1208-6002
• DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2016-0051

We previously reported that lactoferrin (LF) could be effective for preventing preterm delivery and intrauterine infections, based on data derived from mice and rabbits. Here we describe 6 women with a history of multiple pregnancy losses or preterm delivery and refractory bacterial vaginosis, who received prebiotic LF therapy and delivered an infant normally. Five of the women were pregnant and one was not at the time of this study. The Ethics Committee at Showa University Hospital and Showa University Koto Toyosu Hospital approved the therapeutic protocol. Vaginal suppositories and oral prebiotic LF were administered to patients who were refractory to conventional treatment for vaginosis and had a history of late miscarriages and very early preterm delivery due to refractory vaginitis and chorioamnionitis. LF significantly improved the vaginal bacterial flora. Lactobacillus, which was detectable in the vaginas of all patients after one month of LF therapy, gradually became dominant. The findings from these 6 patients suggest that administering LF to humans could help prevent refractory vaginitis, cervical inflammation, and preterm delivery.