Study of the Effect of High Dose Vitamin D on the Improvement of Bacterial Vaginosis in Vitamin D Deficient Women

Naemeh Nikvarz; Morteza Ghasemnejad Berenji; Sima Mousavy; Nima Vazifekhah

doi:10.18502/jimc.v6i2.12236

Naemeh Nikvarz Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Morteza Ghasemnejad Berenji Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Sima Mousavy Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Nima Vazifekhah Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jimc.v6i2.12236

Keywords: Bacterial vaginosis, Metronidazole, Premenopausal women, Vitamin D deficiency, Whiff test

Abstract

Background: The current evaluation was planned to study the effect of vitamin D on improving bacterial vaginosis in premenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency.

Methods: This study was an open-label clinical trial. Forty premenopausal vitamin D deficient women with bacterial vaginosis enrolled in this study. Patients received metronidazole tablet 500 mg twice daily for seven days in both groups. In the vitamin D group, patients also received 50000 IU per day for five days.

Results: Fourteen days after completion of the study, the number of patients complaining of malodor vaginal discharge, vaginal itching, and discharge discoloration was significantly lower than that in the control group. Regarding the laboratory results, in the vitamin D group, the numbers of Gardnerella vaginalis, gram-negative bacilli, and clue cells in the smear of vaginal secretions were significantly less than in the control group (p<0.05). Furthermore, none of the patients had a positive whiff test after treatment in the vitamin D group (p<0.05). Fourteen days after the completion of the study, the plasma level of 25-OH vitamin D in the vitamin D group was significantly higher than that in the control group. However, the short course of high-dose vitamin D therapy did not increase the plasma concentration of 25-OH vitamin D to the average level.

Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation can improve the therapeutic response to metronidazole in vitamin D deficient women with BV. However, large-scale double-blind, randomized clinical trials must confirm this finding.