ABSTRACT
Cycle-dependent changes in the composition of the endocervical flora may help to explain the higher infection rates of gonorrhea in women immediately before or during menses. Thus, interest in elucidation of the role of the normal genital flora in resistance to gonorrhea has been rekindled. Numerous organisms have been shown to be capable of antagonizing the growth of N. gonorrhoeae in vitro. These include Candida albicans, staphylococci, streptococci, Corynebacterium, other species of Neisseria, Enterobac-teriaceae, Vibrio cholera, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, results of a recent study suggest that not all in vitro antagonisms are indicative of in vivo resistance to infection. In this study, 69% of endocervical streptococci were inhibitory to N. gonorrhoeae in vitro, but their presence in vivo was not associated with resistance to infection. The lactobacilli were speciated and their ability to inhibit the growth of N. gonorrhoeae was determined by the agar overlay assay used previously.
