The serum levels of calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc in patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis during attack, remission and in healthy controls

Abstract

The real cause of recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis (RVVC) is concealed and the etiopathogenesis of this disease remains to be determined. In a cohort study, concentrations of metals in 44 patients with RVVC and 30 healthy age-matched women were measured and compared. The concentrations of serum calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe) were measured photometrically, the zinc (Zn) levels were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. For statistical analysis were used the Student's t-tests (paired analysis for attack vs. remission; non-paired analysis for patient vs. control). Although all measured metals were within normal ranges the patients with RVVC had in contrast to the healthy controls significantly lower levels of serum Ca, Mg and Zn and insignificantly higher levels of Fe. These relative changes may contribute to the development of attacks in patients with RVVC.

Unexpected Link between Iron and Drug Resistance of Candida spp.: Iron Depletion Enhances Membrane Fluidity and Drug Diffusion, Leading to Drug-SusceptibleCells

“…Recent studies of the role of iron in recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis have revealed that this element is important not only for the normal function of host immunity but also for pathogenic Candida owing to the fact that absence of this metal resulted in reduced virulence and hence reduced yeast invasion of the host epithelium (40). Availability of iron has been found to play a critical role in different clinical infections, and this represents a challenge to investigate the role of iron more closely (5).…”

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“…However other studies did not find evidence to support the role of sugar consumption in genital candidiasis [78]. While deficiencies of minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron have been associated with genital candidiasis in some studies, the evidence thereto is considered insufficient [79].…”

“…acute VVC, in a minority (< 10% of those who suffer one episode) it is recurrent, i.e. they experience at least 4 symptomatic episodes in a year [3,79,122].…”

“…Of these, pruritus and discharge are the most common complaints [15], and vulvar pruritus and soreness are the only symptoms predictive of a positive yeast culture [14]. The vaginal discharge varies in amount and consistency from watery to homogenously thick -what is referred to as "cottage-cheese like or curd-like and does not have an offensive smell [19,79]. Symptoms may sometimes be aggravated by sexual intercourse, e.g.…”

Can glyphosate’s disruption of the gut microbiome and induction of sulfate deficiency explain the epidemic in gout and associated diseases in the industrialized world?

“…Increased bone marrow iron stores is an independent risk factor for invasive aspergillosis in patients with haematologic malignancies [143]. Excess iron increases the virulence and invasive potential of yeast in recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis [144], and iron depletion increases the susceptibility of Candida to antifungal drugs [145].…”