The effects of intravaginal clindamycin and metronidazole therapy on vaginal Mobiluncus morphotypes in patients with bacterial vaginosis

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of treatments for bacterial vaginosis (BV) on vaginal Mobiluncus morphotypes. Study Design: Analyses were performed on Mobiluncus scores from similarly conducted studies evaluating clindamycin vaginal single-dose cream (CVSDC) or metronidazole vaginal gel (MVG) in 55 patients with BV and with Mobiluncus morphotypes at baseline. Results: Both treatment groups demonstrated significant reductions in Mobiluncus score. However, the Mobiluncus score at test-of-cure was lower in the CVSDC than in the MVG group (P = 0.0471). More patients in the CVSDC group than in the MVG group achieved microbiologic (57.5% vs. 26.7%; P = 0.04), clinical (57.5% vs. 26.7%; P = 0.04), and therapeutic cures of BV (45.0% vs. 20.0%; P = 0.09). Conclusion: Clindamycin reduces vaginal Mobiluncus morphotypes to a greater extent than metronidazolle in patients with BV; this correlates with a higher BV cure rate.