An in vitro study of the attachment to vaginal epithelial cells of anaerobic curved rods, Bacteroides bivius and Bacteroides disiens.

An in vitro test system was used to study the influence of different pH levels on the adherence of anaerobic curved rods (ACR) of the long (LCR) and short type (SCR), of Bacteroides bivius and B. disiens, to vaginal epithelial cells (VEC) obtained from healthy women. There was a significant increase in the adherence of ACR (p less than 0.05) and B. bivius (p less than 0.05) at decreasing acidity. LCR adhered significantly better than SCR at pH 7.5 as compared with pH 4.0 (p less than 0.01). 'Clue cells' seen in wet mounts from vaginal discharge of women with bacterial vaginosis were very similar to VEC covered with ACR in in vitro tests.