Double-Stranded RNA Viral Infection of Trichomonas vaginalis and Association with Clinical Presentation

Trichomonas vaginalis can be infected with double stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses known as T. vaginalis virus (TVV). This viral infection may have important implications for trichomonal virulence and disease pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine the possible clinical significance of dsRNA viral infection of Trichomonas vaginalis, by determining whether the presence of dsRNA virus infection was associated with particular features of clinical presentation. Forty T. vaginalis isolates were obtained from among 575 adolescent females studied. Laboratory tests were conducted on samples from all the patients, for the diagnosis T. vaginalis and for the presence of others sexually transmitted microorganisms. Patients diagnosed with T. vaginalis infection were included in the study; patients diagnosed with other sexually transmitted microorganism were excluded. Medical doctors recorded the principal clinical symptoms and signs associated with trichomoniasis. The presence of T. vaginalis virus (TVV) was determined from total extraction of nucleic acids (DNA-RNA). Fisher's exact test was used to test for associations between TVV infection and clinical findings. The prevalence of trichomoniasis in this study was 13.2%. A significant association was found between the detection of TVV and the presence of particular clinical symptoms and signs in infected patients (P < 0.01). The presence of vaginal discharge (P < 0.01), dysuria (P < 0.05); dyspareunia (P < 0.05) and cervical erythema (P < 0.01) were significantly associated with TVV infection. No association was found between TVV and pruritus, vulvar erythema and vaginal erythema. The strong association detected between TVV and particular clinical features of trichomoniasis is indicative of a possible clinical significance of TVV in T. vaginalis isolates and demonstrates a possible role of the virus in the pathogenesis of human trichomoniasis.