In vitro studies of the adherence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and other urogenital bacteria to vaginal and uroepithelial cells, with special regard to the menstrual cycle.

The adherence to vaginal epithelial and uroepithelial cells of three serogroups (W/I, W/II and W/III) and their colony colour opacity variants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were studied with regard to the menstrual cycle, using an in vitro test method. Vaginal epithelial cells obtained in the post-menstrual phase attach more gonococci than cells obtained in the pre-menstrual phase. This difference was statistically highly significant (p less than 0.001) for the three serogroups tested. The adherence rate also differed with regard to the three serogroups used in the tests (W/II greater than W/III greater than W/I), and with regard to organisms from opaque greater than transparent). There was no variation in the adherence of gonococci to uroepithelial cells during the menstrual cycle. E coli, S. saprophyticus and group B streptococci showed a tendency to increased adherence to vaginal epithelial cells in the post-menstrual phase compared with ther pre-menstrual one, but the difference was not statistically significant.