Table 3

Virulence of analysed Trichomonas vaginalis strains assessed on the basis of clinical findings, histopathological examination of ectocervical biopsies and results of mouse assays after intraperitoneal and subcutaneous inoculation.

Intraperitoneal mouse test

Subcutaneous mouse test

Patients(d)

Strain

Mortality % (a)

Virulence index (b)

N

Abscess volume (mm³) (c)

N

Symptoms

Histopathology

TV 85–08

50

7.7

20

132

38

2

2

TV 73–87

43

10.4

30

66

31

2

2

TV 71–96

24

6.0

37

121

38

2

3

TV 79–49

73

10.7

30

176

65

1

1

TV 14–85

86

10.8

30

127

29

4

3

TV 67–77

47

8.7

30

63

40

2

2

TV 10–02

0

3.7

20

79

37

1

1

TV 7–37

90

13.4

30

230

41

4

4

FF28

75

7.6

12

117

28

0

nd

JH-31A

nd

nd

nd

78.6

49

0

0

TV 17–48

83

11.1

30

183

58

4

4

(a) Percent of inoculated mice that died within three weeks after inoculation. (b) Virulence index of Cavier et al.[23] ranges from 0 (avirulent) to 16 (maximum virulence). (c) Mean volumes of subcutaneous abscesses developed six days after inoculation. (d) Clinical and pathological changes found at gynaecological and histopathological examination rated according to increasing severity from 1 to 4 as indicated in reference [2].

Hampl et al. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2001 1:11   doi:10.1186/1471-2148-1-11