The pattern of antimicrobial resistance and the presence of the vaginolysin gene in Gardnerella vaginalis isolates from pregnant women

Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal infection, with Gardnerella vaginalis being the predominant microorganism responsible. BV causes vaginal discharge and irritation and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vaginalis produces a pore-forming protein toxin, vaginolysin (VLY), which is essential for virulence and plays a role in the pathogenesis of BV. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the VLY gene in isolates of G. vaginalis from pregnant women and to determine their antibiotic sensitivity patterns. Materials and Methods: Vaginal secretions were collected from 250 pregnant women and processed for G. vaginalis isolation. Presumptive identification of the isolates was done by Amsel's criteria, b-haemolysis and oxidase and catalase tests. A polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the bacterial identity and detect the VLY gene. Anti-microbial susceptibility patterns were determined for metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, sulphonamides, chloramphenicol and ampicillin. Results: Out of 250 swabs examined, 72 (28.8%) were positive for G. vaginalis, with 59 from BV patients and 13 from non-BV patients. The VLY gene was detected in 33.3% of G. vaginalis isolates from non-BV patients and in 66.6% of those from BV symptomatic patients. Metronidazole and chloramphenicol showed a high sensitivity of 66.6%. Conclusion: The study concludes that regional drug susceptibility studies should be conducted to reduce the phenomenon of bacterial resistance. Further prospective research is needed to understand the function of G. vaginalis in the pathogenesis of BV.