Treatment of bacterial vaginosis: a randomised controlled trial

这项研究项目的目的是确定细菌性阴道病(BV)的治疗是否可以改进。细菌性阴道病是女性阴道分泌物最常见的原因之一。它还可能产生严重后果，如早产，还可能增加艾滋病毒传播的风险。这些并发症给社区造成了数百万美元的损失；例如，在美国，据估计，仅由BV引起的早产每年就花费约10亿美元。目前推荐的BV治疗最初效果良好(第一个月约80%有效)，但到12个月大多数(60%)复发。这项随机临床研究正在探索治疗BV的新方法。目前推荐的治疗手段(抗生素甲硝唑)正在与其他两种治疗方法进行比较。研究的第二个环节涉及同时使用两种抗生素(甲硝唑和克林霉素)，第三个环节涉及细菌(乳杆菌)和雌激素的使用。乳杆菌是一种细菌，可以帮助维持正常的细菌(并通过防止BV的复发)，而雌激素可能有类似的效果。如果这两种疗法中的任何一种改善了BV的长期治疗，受影响的妇女和整个社区都将获得非常显著的好处。

The objective of this research project is to determine if the treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) can be improved. Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common causes of vaginal discharge in women. It can also have serious consequences, such as premature labour and can also increase the risk of HIV transmission. These complication cost communities many millions of dollars; for example in the US it is estimated that premature labour caused by BV alone costs about 1 billion dollars a year. The currently recommended treatment for BV works well initially (first month about 80% respond) but by 12 months most (60%) have relapsed. This randomised clinical study is investigating new ways to treat BV. The currently recommended arm of treatment (antibiotic metronidazole) is being compared to two other treatments. The second arm of the study involves the use of two antibiotics at once (metronidazole and clindamycin) and the third arm involves the use of a bacterial (lactobacilli) and oestrogen. Lactobacilli are bacteria that may help maintain the normal bacterial (and there by prevent relapse of BV) and oestrogen may have a similar effect. If either of these treatments improved the longer term treatment of BV, very significant benefits would flow to affected women and the community as a whole.