Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2013; 15(1):72-79
Objective. To determine lactobacilli species diversity in different states of vaginal microbiota in pregnant women using culture, mass-spectrometry, and DNAbased assays.
Materials and Methods. A total of 163 pregnant women (18 to 40 years of age) were examined in the 2nd or 3rd trimester. A comprehensive microbiological examination of vaginal swabs, including Gram staining, methylene blue staining, and culture was performed. All isolated microorganisms were identified to species level using mass-spectrometry.