{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T08:28:27Z","timestamp":1768552107427,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,28]],"date-time":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1611792000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects one-third of reproductive age women, increasing the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and posing a risk for reproductive health. The current diagnosis with Gram stain (Nugent Score) identifies a transitional stage named partial BV or intermediate microbiota, raising the problem of how to clinically handle it. We retrospectively analyzed cervicovaginal swabs from 985 immunocompetent non-pregnant symptomaticspp. women (vaginal discharge, burning, itching) by Nugent score and qPCR for BV, aerobic or fungal vaginitis, and STIs (Mycoplasmas spp., Chlamydia t., Trichomonas v., and Neisseria g.). Nugent scores 0\u20133 and 7\u201310 were confirmed in 99.3% and 89.7% cases, respectively, by qPCR. Among Nugent scores 4\u20136 (partial BV), qPCR identified 46.1% of BV cases, with 37.3% of cases negative for BV, and only 16.7% of partial BV. Gram staining and qPCR were discordant (p value = 0.0001) mainly in the partial BV. Among the qPCR BV cases, the presence of aerobic vaginitis and STIs was identified, with a significant association (p &lt; 0.0001) between the STIs and partial BV\/overt BV. qPCR is more informative and accurate, and its use as an alternative or in combination with Gram staining could help clinicians in having an overview of the complex vaginal microbiota and in the interpretation of partial BV that can correspond to vaginitis and\/or STIs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics11020191","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,28]],"date-time":"2021-01-28T22:02:01Z","timestamp":1611871321000},"page":"191","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Vaginal Dysbiosis and Partial Bacterial Vaginosis: The Interpretation of the \u201cGrey Zones\u201d of Clinical Practice"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2307-5537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppina","family":"Campisciano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Laboratory of Translational Microbiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nunzia","family":"Zanotta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Laboratory of Translational Microbiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Petix","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Laboratory of Translational Microbiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4479-3087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Giangreco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65\/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8031-1102","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Ricci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gianpaolo","family":"Maso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Manola","family":"Comar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Laboratory of Translational Microbiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"De Seta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health\u2014IRCCS \u201cBurlo Garofolo\u201d\u2014Via dell\u2019Istria 65, 34137 Trieste, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1007\/s11908-000-0082-0","article-title":"Bacterial vaginosis","volume":"2","author":"Schwebke","year":"2000","journal-title":"Curr. 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