Cervical-vaginal flora of immunosuppressed renal transplant patients.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the endocervical microflora present in 25 renal allograft recipients hwo were receiving therapeutic dosages of azathioprine or cyclophosphamide and prednisone. The aerobic flora was similar to that found in other populations. However, these immunosuppressed patients had more different anaerobic species per culture than were found in most other populations. This was reflected in the more frequent isolation of many species of anaerobic bacteria, especially the anaerobic gram-negative rods. The clinician should be aware of these differences since they may be significant in regard to gynecologic or obstetric postoperative infectious morbidity in women using immunosuppressive medications.