Studies of introital colonization in women with recurrent urinary infections. IV. The role of local vaginal antibodies.

Immunoglobulins IgG and IgA were determined in 94 collections of vaginal fluid from 10 patients before, during and after 17 episodes of bacteriuria. The results were compared to 49 collections from 6 volunteer controls who had never had bacteriuria. The mean IgG concentration in patients (48 plus or minus 54 mg. per cent) was no different from controls (50 plus or minus 33 mg. per cent). IgA concentrations were 2.6 plus or minus 2.1 and 2.6 plus or minus 2.4 mg. per cent, respectively. Bacterial agglutination titers in vaginal fluid to Escherichia coli colonizing the vaginal vestibule of the patients were no different (7.7 plus or minus 9.8, reciprocal tube titer) than the titers to be predominant Escherichia coli cultured from the rectum of the controls (9.7 plus or minus 5.0). Longitudinal studies in patients failed to show any relationship between vaginal colonization with changing serotypes of Escherichia coli and agglutination titers in vaginal fluid.