Behaviour and pathogenicity of Trichomonas vaginalis in epithelial cell cultures: a study by light and scanning electron microscopy.

The behaviour and pathogenic effects of Trichomonas vaginalis in mammalian cell cultures were studied using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Six hours after inoculation of the parasites into the cell cultures about 10% of the epithelial monolayer was destroyed. The parasites adhered to the epithelial cells, developed an amoeboid morphology, and crawled over and under the monolayer of cells. These observations suggest that the adhesiveness, amoeboid morphology, and motility of T vaginalis may be important mechanisms in the injury caused to the vaginal epithelium.