RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the bacterial community structure of the microbiota in the vaginal fluid from patients with bacterial vaginosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The composition of bacteria in the samples of vaginal fluid from 3 patients with bacterial vaginosis and 1 normal premenopausal control was investigated by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis(ARDRA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Lactobacillus species were the predominant bacteria in the woman without bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis was associated with higher concentrations of a variety of bacterial groups. Women with bacterial vaginosis had greater bacterial diversity, with 31 to 37 OTUs operational taxonomic units detected per sample. The species associated with bacterial vaginosis were Leptotrichia, Prevotella sp. and Megasphaera including several species with no close cultivated relatives.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Women with bacterial vaginosis have complex vaginal infections with many newly recognized species. ARDRA allows rapid analysis of the diversity of microorganisms in the vagina, and is capable of identifying potentially pathogenic bacteria that can not be identified by general culture.</p>