The determination of amines in the vaginal secretions of women in health and disease.

The presence of amines in vaginal fluid is thought to be an important contributory factor in the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis (BV). As part of on-going work investigating the aetiology of this infection, two separate studies were performed in which gas chromatography was used to measure and compare the amines present in the vaginal secretions of normal women, a group infected with BV and some having other sexually transmitted diseases. The amines studied were methylamine, isobutylamine, putrescine, cadaverine and phenylethylamine. The results of the studies were contrary to expectations, in that they showed an overall similarity in both normal women and in those with BV and other vaginal infections. These findings now bring in to question the validity of amines being a reliable focus, either in the diagnosis of BV, or in investigations into the aetiology of the disease.