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Biomedical subjects

J Paavonen

Publications and source records attributed to J Paavonen.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Ambulatory treatment of suspected pelvic inflammatory disease with Augmentin, with or without doxycycline.

Sixty-three women with suspected pelvic inflammatory disease were treated as outpatients with Augmentin with or without doxycycline. Initially, doxycycline was added only after a direct test for Chlamydia trachomatis was positive. Because chlamydial infections were frequent, all patients received doxycycline during the last two thirds of the study. Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis were recovered from 15 (65%) of 23 women classified as probably having pelvic inflammatory disease. Among 47 women reexamined after starting therapy, three rapidly became worse and were hospitalized, nine (20%) discontinued therapy because of gastrointestinal side effects, and all of the remaining 35 women who completed therapy were either cured or improved.

Adult↗

Colposcopic manifestations of cervical and vaginal infections.

We analyzed the associations of colposcopic features with cervical and vaginal pathogens and with clinical diagnoses in randomly selected women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Logistic regression models were used to adjust for coinfections. Significant associations (P less than 0.01) were found for endocervical mucopus with C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, and herpes simplex virus (HSV); ulcers/necrotic areas with HSV; "strawberry cervix" with T. vaginalis; increased surface vascularity with HSV; hypertropic cervicitis with C. trachomatis; and immature metaplasia with C. trachomatis and cytomegalovirus. Koilocytosis on cervical cytology was significantly associated with an atypical transformation zone on colposcopy, as well as with satellite lesions. The presence of leukoplakia and ectocervical asperities were also associated with koilocytosis. Awareness of these associations is important for colposcopists to identify patients who need specific microbiologic studies. Although colposcopy is generally used to evaluate patients selected because of abnormal cytology, our study suggests that colposcopic examination could be a useful adjunct to cytology in screening for a variety of cervical and vaginal infections.

Adolescent↗

Outpatient treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease with cefoxitin and doxycycline.

Sixty-three women with abdominal pain and adnexal tenderness were enrolled in a study of ambulatory treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Treatment consisted of 2 g of cefoxitin intramuscularly and 1 g of probenecid orally, followed by doxycycline, 100 mg by mouth twice daily for 14 days. Patients were stratified into groups indicating whether pelvic inflammatory disease was probable, possible, or unlikely, based upon endometrial biopsy and clinical criteria. Among 52 women who were evaluated, Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae were initially recovered from 16 (67%) of 24 with probable pelvic inflammatory disease, three (33%) of 11 with possible pelvic inflammatory disease, and three (18%) of 17 in whom pelvic inflammatory disease was considered unlikely. Of the 24 patients with probable pelvic inflammatory disease, 22 (92%) were clinically cured or improved. Of 22 patients initially infected with C trachomatis and/or N gonorrhoeae, 20 were culture-negative for both organisms after therapy. Both microbiologic failures had been reexposed. This study suggests that the combination of cefoxitin and doxycycline is effective for ambulatory treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Adult↗

Microbiological and histopathological findings in acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

Upper genital tract infection was investigated in 45 women admitted to hospital for suspected acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Salpingitis was diagnosed by laparoscopy in 30 (67%) women. Histopathological evidence of endometritis was found significantly more often in the 30 women with salpingitis (87%) than in the other 15 women without salpingitis (33%). C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae, or both, were isolated from the upper genital tract in 14 of the 31 women who had both salpingitis and endometritis or endometritis only but in none of the four women who had salpingitis alone and in none of the 10 women who had no evidence of PID. Bacterial vaginosis was associated with histopathological evidence of upper tract infection. Non-chlamydial non-gonococcal organisms were frequently isolated from the upper genital tract. No organisms were isolated from the upper genital tract from 9 of 35 women with laparoscopic or histopathological evidence of PID compared with 7 of 10 women without evidence of PID. C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae in the endometrium was associated with lymphoid follicles comprising transformed lymphocytes, and correlated with the density of plasma cells on biopsy. The microbiological results support the recommendations of broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy for PID.

Acute Disease↗

Second laparoscopy after treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

We used second laparoscopy with dye insufflation to evaluate tubal findings in 20 women 15-45 weeks after treatment for acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Eight women had pelvic adhesions, including all six women with adhesions seen at first laparoscopy. However, in five of the six women, adhesions were milder or had disappeared unilaterally. Dye insufflation revealed tubal occlusion in five of eight women with adhesions and one of 12 women without adhesions. Thus, nine women (45%) had pelvic adhesions or tubal occlusion at second laparoscopy. Second laparoscopy is useful to objectively assess posttreatment tubal and peritubal morphology. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the procedure and the correlation of second laparoscopy findings to future infertility.

Biopsy↗

Sexually transmitted diseases. Lower genital tract infections in women.

Infections of the female urinary tract, cervix, vulva, and vagina produce a variety of overlapping symptoms, including vulvar pruritus, dysuria, dyspareunia, and increased or altered vaginal discharge. Recent studies have considerably improved our understanding of the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these infections.

Female↗

Serum C-reactive protein determination in acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

We have studied the role of serum C-reactive protein determination in the diagnosis of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Acute-phase serum C-reactive protein concentration reflected the extent and the severity of pelvic inflammatory disease more closely than erythrocyte sedimentation rate or white blood cell count determinations. We recommend that both C-reactive protein concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate should be routinely used to augment the clinical diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Blood Sedimentation↗

Localization of Chlamydia trachomatis infection by direct immunofluorescence and culture in pelvic inflammatory disease.

Fifty-five women with suspected pelvic inflammatory disease underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and endometrial and tubal biopsy, with specimens for isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis and for staining with a species-specific monoclonal fluorescein-conjugated antibody to C. trachomatis were obtained from the urethra, rectum, endocervix, endometrium, tubes, and cul-de-sac. C. trachomatis was isolated from 21 patients (38%), including 10 (18%) who had positive endometrial or tubal cultures. The fluorescein-conjugated antibody stain was positive for 43 (86%) of 50 culture-positive specimens, for 14 (18%) of 78 culture-negative specimens from 21 patients who had positive cultures from other sites, and for one (0.5%) of 192 specimens from 34 patients who had negative cultures at all sites. Thus the sensitivity of direct fluorescein-conjugated antibody for culture-positive specimens was 86% and the specificity for specimens from culture-negative patients was 99%. Twelve upper genital tract specimens were positive by fluorescein-conjugated antibody only. Fluorescein-conjugated antibody staining of 50 paraffin-embedded endometrial aspirates showed extracellular or intracellular elementary bodies and or cytoplasmic inclusions in all of seven culture-positive specimens, in four of six culture-negative specimens from patients who had positive cultures at other sites, and in none of 34 specimens from patients with negative cultures. Thus fluorescein-conjugated antibody staining is useful for confirming the role of C. trachomatis in endometritis and salpingitis. It is more sensitive than culture for detection of chlamydia in endometrial or tubal specimens and is able to confirm that the organism is actually present in endometrial tissue (rather than simply reflecting contamination from the cervix) in women with clinical evidence of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Etiology of cervical inflammation.

We studied the relationships of selected microbial, clinical, demographic, and behavioral variables to mucopurulent cervicitis in two clinical settings, a sexually transmitted disease clinic and a student health clinic. From each clinic, we studied a group of women referred for suspected mucopurulent cervicitis and a representative sample of other women attending the clinic. After the women were stratified by patient group and summary odds ratios for all groups were obtained, mucopurulent cervicitis was most strongly associated with the isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis; other variables associated with mucopurulent cervicitis included the isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Trichomonas vaginalis, the presence of serum antibody to C. trachomatis, the clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, and oral contraceptive use (positive associations) or isolation of yeast (negative association). After adjustment for cervical culture results for C. trachomatis, mucopurulent cervicitis was positively associated with oral contraceptive use (p = 0.02) and isolation of U. urealyticum (p = 0.02) and negatively associated with isolation of yeast (p = 0.03). Among women with a positive cervical culture for C. trachomatis, isolation of U. urealyticum was significantly associated with mucopurulent cervicitis, while among the subgroup of women with a negative cervical culture for C. trachomatis and positive serum antibody to C. trachomatis, oral contraceptive use was strongly associated with mucopurulent cervicitis. These results confirm that in both clinical settings C. trachomatis is the major cause of mucopurulent cervicitis. The roles of U. urealyticum, T. vaginalis, G. vaginalis, bacterial vaginosis, and oral contraceptive use in the etiology of mucopurulent cervicitis deserve further study.

Adult↗

Polyclonal response of human lymphocytes to Chlamydia trachomatis.

The mitogenicity of Chlamydia trachomatis was investigated. Umbilical cord blood cells from healthy newborns were used. These cells were stimulated in cultures with partially purified C. trachomatis elementary bodies. Proliferation of cultured lymphocytes and secreted immunoglobulins and leukocyte migration inhibitory factor were measured in the culture supernatants. Our results showed that C. trachomatis is able to elicit polyclonal antibody, lymphokine, and DNA synthesis.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Persistence of chlamydial antibodies after pelvic inflammatory disease.

The persistence of chlamydial immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and long-term sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) were studied in 70 women who had been treated for PID 3 to 6 years previously. Fifty-one women had had PID associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection (Chlamydia group), and 19 women had had PID not associated with C. trachomatis (non-Chlamydia group). Chlamydial IgG antibodies, as determined by the indirect immunofluorescence test with inclusions of C. trachomatis L2 as antigens, persisted at stable levels in 43% of the women for up to 6 years; 43% of the women showed a decrease in IgG titer, and 13% showed an increase. IgA antibody levels in serum correlated with IgG antibody levels in serum and with the presence of cervical IgA antibodies. Both serum antibodies and cervical IgA antibodies were more often found in the Chlamydia group. Forty-two percent of the women were infertile. Every fifth subsequent pregnancy was ectopic. The presence of cervical IgA antibodies might protect the women from tubal damage.

Antibodies, Fungal↗

Volatile fatty acid findings in vaginal fluid compared with symptoms, signs, other laboratory results, and susceptibility to tinidazole of malodorous vaginal discharges.

The relevance of volatile fatty acids as a diagnostic test in 79 women with abnormal vaginal discharge was evaluated by a blind, randomised, and placebo controlled trial of tinidazole as a single oral 2 g dose. Automated gas chromatography of ether extracts of discharges taken before treatment showed volatile fatty acids in 18. Volatile fatty acids correlated with malodorous, colour, and microscopically assessed altered bacterial flora and clue cells. At follow up one week later, the odour, colour, and volatile fatty acids in the vaginal discharge of women treated with tinidazole had become normal more often than in those receiving placebo. The disappearance of volatile fatty acids correlated with clinically assessed improvement in women treated with tinidazole. The volatile fatty acid test as an indicator of anaerobic bacterial flora is objective, technically simple and fast, has few problems of sample size and transportation, and may be useful in the aetiological classification and follow up treatment of non-specific vaginal discharges.

Body Fluids↗

Treating pelvic inflammatory disease with doxycycline and metronidazole or penicillin and metronidazole.

The best way of treating pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is not known. The clinical response to two treatment regimens (penicillin plus metronidazole v doxycycline plus metronidazole) was studied in 33 patients with PID confirmed by laparoscopy and endometrial biopsy. The overall failure rate, according to the criteria used in this study was five of 11 (45%) women with chlamydial PID, none of six women with gonococcal PID, all of four women with chlamydial gonococcal PID, and three (25%) of 12 women with non-chlamydial non-gonococcal PID. The failure rate with penicillin plus metronidazole treatment was unacceptably high (53%), and significantly higher than that with doxycycline plus metronidazole (19%) (p = 0.038). In most cases the microbiological and histopathological evaluations identified a probable explanation for the poor response to the treatment regimen used.

Adult↗

Prevalence and manifestations of endometritis among women with cervicitis.

Thirty-five women referred from a clinic treating sexually transmitted diseases, because of suspected cervicitis, were studied for the presence of endometritis by transcervical endometrial biopsies and cervical and endometrial cultures. Fourteen (40%) of the patients had histologic evidence of endometritis. Findings that significantly correlated with endometritis included a history of intermenstrual vaginal bleeding, the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, or Streptococcus agalactiae in the cervix, and the presence of serum antibodies to C. trachomatis or to Mycoplasma hominis.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗