[Sialidase activity in women with bacterial vaginosis]. / Actividad sialidasa en mujeres con vaginosis bacteriana.

Bacterial vaginosis (VB) is a syndrome characterized by overgrowth of endogenous Gram negative bacterial flora and the lack of the normal flora. Within bacterial enzymes, sialidases have been considered a virulence factor of many pathogenic microorganisms colonizing the different mucous membranes. Their presence in vaginal discharges can be correlated with VB. The aim of this study was to detect the activity of this enzyme in women with this syndrome and without clinical evidence of genital infection. Out of a total 112 women studied, 51 were patients with VB and the other 61 women presented normal vaginal flora. For the quantification of enzyme activity, the technique based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of a derivative acid of the acetyl metoxifenil muramic acid was used. In the studied population both groups shared values from 0.5 to 5.1 nmoles of metoxifenol, whereas only 11 out of 52 patients with VB (21.17%), registered more than 5.1 nmoles. The presence of sialidase activity is not enough to confirm VB, except for values greater than 5.5 nmoles of the metoxifenol produced in the enzymatic reaction.

Actividad sialidasa en mujeres con vaginosis bacteriana / Sialidase activity in women with bacterial vaginosis

La vaginosis bacteriana (VB) es un síndrome caracterizado por el sobrecrecimiento bacteriano deflora endógena Gram negativa, que desplaza a la flora lactobacilar normal. Dentro de las enzimasbacterianas, las sialidasas han sido consideradas factores de virulencia de muchos microorganismos patógenosque colonizan las distintas mucosas. Su presencia en fluidos vaginales puede estar correlacionada con VB. Elpropósito de este estudio fue comprobar la actividad de dicha enzima en mujeres con este síndrome y sin evidenciaclínica de infección genital. Se estudiaron 112 mujeres (51 fueron pacientes con VB y 61 mujeres conflora colonizante habitual). Para la cuantificación de la actividad sialidasa se empleó la técnica basada en lahidrólisis enzimática de un derivado ácido del ácido metoxifenil acetil murámico. En la población estudiada seencontró que ambos grupos mostraron valores comprendidos entre 0.5 a 5.1 nmoles de metoxifenol, mientrasque 11 de 52 pacientes con VB (21.17%), registraron valores superiores a 5.1 nmoles. La presencia de actividadsialidasa solamente no es índice de VB, excepto para valores mayores de 5.5 nmoles de metoxifenol, producidosen la reacción enzimática.

Bacterial vaginosis (VB) is a syndromecharacterized by overgrowth of endogenous Gram negative bacterial flora and the lack of the normalflora. Within bacterial enzymes, sialidases have been considered a virulence factor of many pathogenic microorganismscolonizing the different mucous membranes. Their presence in vaginal discharges can be correlatedwith VB. The aim of this study was to detect the activity of this enzyme in women with this syndrome andwithout clinical evidence of genital infection. Out of a total 112 women studied, 51 were patients with VB andthe other 61 women presented normal vaginal flora. For the quantification of enzyme activity, the technique basedon the enzymatic hydrolysis of a derivative acid of the acetyl metoxifenil muramic acid was used. In the studiedpopulation both groups shared values from 0.5 to 5.1 nmoles of metoxifenol, whereas only 11 out of 52 patientswith VB (21.17%), registered more than 5.1 nmoles. The presence of sialidase activity is not enough to confirmVB, except for values greater than 5.5 nmoles of the metoxifenol produced in the enzymatic reaction.