Inhibition of chemotaxis by organic acids from anaerobes may prevent a purulent response in bacterial vaginosis

It has been postulated that certain organic acids produced by the anaerobes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) could prevent a purulent response in this infection. Varying concentrations of pure succinic, acetic and lactic acids were incubated in vitro with a monocytic cell line (MonoMac 6), High inhibition of chemotaxis was produced by succinic acid; lower inhibition and no inhibition was shown by acetic acid and lactic acid respectively. Succinic and acetic: acids were detected in high concentrations in the vaginal fluid of women with BV and in culture supernates of Prevotella and Mobiluncus spp,; these acids impaired chemotaxis of MonoMac 6 cells in vitro. The vaginal fluids of normal women and the culture supernates of Lactobacillus spp. had no effect on chemotaxis.