Impairment of the Mucosal Immune System: IgA and IgM Cleavage Detected in Vaginal Washings of a Subgroup of Patients with Bacterial Vaginosis

Abstract

The integrity of the immunoglobulins in vaginal washings of patients with bacterial vaginosis was examined to answer the question of the lack of immune response against Gardnerella vaginalis cytolysin. Clinically diagnosed patients (n=100) were recruited and their vaginal washings examined by Western blotting. Many showed IgA and IgM partially or extensively degraded. According to the degradation pattern, the patients were subdivided into 4 subsets, from intact (score 0) to completely degraded IgA (score +3). Statistical analysis of the data showed a correlation between IgA degradation and absence of immune response to G. vaginalis cytolysin. The extent of IgA degradation correlated also with the sialidase (but not with the prolidase) activity level. All women showed intact IgG and human serum albumin and no trypsin-like activity. Patients with bacterial vaginosis having high sialidase activity and extensive IgA degradation in their secretions could incur more dangerous infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Vaginal hydrolytic enzymes, immunoglobulin A against Gardnerella vaginalis toxin, and risk of early preterm birth among women in preterm labor with bacterial vaginosis or intermediate flora

“…14 The lower limit of detection was 5 mOD. A cutoff value of 94 mOD was based on the 50th percentile of the anti-Gvh IgA levels that were measured in the 85 women from this data set who had a normal Gram stain and no G vaginalis by culture.…”

“…Low levels of anti-Gvh IgA in women with BV who are not pregnant are correlated with high levels of vaginal sialidase activity 13 and with cleavage of IgA in vaginal fluid. 14 It remains to be established whether different profiles of these biochemical markers correspond to different levels of risk for poor pregnancy outcome. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that an increased concentration of sialidase and prolidase and a decreased con- Udine, Italy, Seattle, Wash, and Pittsburgh, Pa OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the microbial hydrolytic enzymes, sialidase and prolidase, and immunoglobulin A against the Gardnerella vaginalis cytolysin (anti-Gvh IgA) increase the risk for early preterm birth (≤34 weeks of gestation) among women with bacterial vaginosis or intermediate flora.…”

“…Low levels of anti-Gvh IgA in women with BV who are not pregnant are correlated with high levels of vaginal sialidase activity 13 and with cleavage of IgA in vaginal fluid. 14 It remains to be established whether different profiles of these biochemical markers correspond to different levels of risk for poor pregnancy outcome. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that an increased concentration of sialidase and prolidase and a decreased con-centration of anti-Gvh IgA would be associated with an increased risk of early preterm birth among women in preterm labor with BV or intermediate vaginal flora.…”

Abnormal Vaginal Flora in Low-Risk Pregnant Women Cared for by a Public Health Service: prevalence and Association with Symptoms and Findings from Gynecological Exams

“…Sialidase are enzymes that cleave sialic acid from glycoproteins, among them the IgA, mucins and cell receptors and thus is associated with evasion of innate and acquired immunity, due to degradation of cervical IgA and changes in the cellular membrane receptors (3) . Prolidase are proteolytic enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix, encourage cell infiltration and thus contribute to breaking down the protective mucosal barrier (4) .…”

Sexually transmitted diseases: microbiology and management Proceedings of the Seventh Liverpool Tropical School Bayer Symposium on Microbial Disease held on 6 February 2000

“…There is an increase in the ratio of succinate to lactate [18,19]. Many bacterial enzymes are detectable including sialidase [20,21] and proline aminopeptidase [22]. These can be measured by techniques such as gas chromatography, HPLC or by biochemical assays.…”