HEALTH OF WOMAN.2015.2(98):30–34 

Efficacy of orally applied probiotic capsules for bacterial vaginosis and other vaginal infections: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study 

Vujic G., Knez A. J., Stefanovic V. D., Vrbanovic V. K. 
A therapeutic hospital and base hospital in Zagreb, Clinic of obstetrics and gynecology, Croatia 
«Jadran» Galenski Laboratory, Croatia 

Objective. To assess the efficacy of orally administered capsules containing the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 (Lactogyn, JGL, Rijeka, Croatia) compared to placebo in otherwise healthy women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis.

Study design. Randomized, double-blind, multicentric, placebo-controlled trial, including a total of 544 subjects. Included were women older than 18 years of age, diagnosed with vaginal infection. Subjects received either probiotic (395 subjects or 72.6%) or identical-looking placebo capsules (149 subjects or 27.4%,) per day over a period of 6 weeks. Six and 12 weeks after the beginning of the study, subjects underwent two additional gynecological examinations and their vaginal swabs were evaluated by a clinical cytologist.

Results. Mean follow-up period after the baseline visit was 44 days. After this period, restitution to balanced vaginal microbiota was reported in 40 subjects (26.9%) in the placebo group, compared to 243 subjects (61.5%) in the probiotic group. Differences between groups were statistically significant at p < 0.001. After the additional 6 weeks of follow up, normal vaginal microbiota were still present in more than half (51.1%) of subjects in the probiotic group, but only in around one-fifth (20.8%) of subjects who were taking placebo (p<0.001).

Conclusion. Oral probiotics could be an alternative, side effect-free treatment for one of the most common indications in gynecology, combining the good aspects of both metronidazole and vaginal capsules. 

Key words: Bacterial vaginosis, Oral probiotics, Placebo-controlled study. 

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