Borges, SandraSilva, JoanaTeixeira, Paula2015-05-142015-05-142014-03BORGES, Sandra ; SILVA, Joana ; TEIXEIRA, Paula - The role of lactobacilli and probiotics in maintaining vaginal health. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. ISSN 1432-0711 . Vol. 289, n.º 3 (2014), p. 479–489http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/17606Background: The vaginal microbiota of healthy women consists typically of a diversity of anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. Lactobacilli are the most prevalent and often numerically dominant microorganisms and are relevant as a barrier to infection. The capacity of lactobacilli to adhere and compete for adhesion sites in the vaginal epithelium and the capacity to produce antimicrobial com- pounds (hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid, bacteriocin-like substances), are important in the impairment of colonization by pathogens. Objective: This review summarizes the role of lactic acid bacteria in preventing illness of the host, including bacterial vaginosis, yeast vaginitis, urinary tract infection and sexually transmitted diseases. Conclusions: The administration of probiotics that colonize the vaginal tract can be important in maintaining a normal urogenital health and also to prevent or treat infections.engUrogenital tractLactobacilliVaginal microbiotaProbioticsjournal article10.1007/s00404-013-3064-91432-0711WOS:000331637100007