Glucose in vaginal secretions before and after oral glucose tolerance testing in women with and without recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the change of glucose in vaginal secretions during glucose tolerance testing in women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and in healthy control subjects.
METHODS: Thirty-eight women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and 45 healthy, age-matched controls completed a health questionnaire regarding general and gynecologic health and food and alcohol habits. They all underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and a vaginal examination. Vaginal secretion was collected from the proximal part of the vagina. Glucose in plasma and in vaginal secretions were measured at fasting and after 2 hours and analyzed with the hexokinase method. A sample size analysis showed that the number of subjects included in the study was sufficient for a beta value of 0.80, at the significance level of alpha=.05, at a difference in glucose in vaginal secretions of 30% after oral glucose tolerance test.
RESULTS: In healthy women, the median level of glucose in vaginal secretions was 5.2 mM before and 3.7 mM after oral glucose tolerance test, and plasma glucose was 5.0 mM before and 5.8 mM after oral glucose tolerance test. No significant difference was seen regarding change of glucose level in vaginal secretions and plasma glucose after testing, compared with before oral glucose tolerance testing.
CONCLUSION: There were no differences between women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and control subjects regarding change in glucose level in vaginal secretions or in plasma during oral glucose tolerance test. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2.