To cite this article: Neuroendocrinol Lett 2014; 35(4):301–305 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Neuroendocrinology Letters Volume 35 No. 4 2014 Streptococcus group B serotype distribution in anovaginal isolates of women in term pregnancy Małgorzata Romanik 1,2 , Krzysztof Nowosielski 2 , Ryszard Poręba 2 , Urszula Sioma-Markowska 3 , Gayane Martiroisian 1 , Jan Groborz 1 1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 2 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Specialist Teaching Hospital in Tychy, Poland 3 Department of Women’s Health, Faculty of Health Sciences Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland Correspondence to: Krzysztof Nowosielski, MD., PhD. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Specialist Teaching Hospital in Tychy, Edukacji 102, 43-100 Tychy, Poland. e-mail: krzysnowosilcow@yahoo.com Submitted: 2014-06-05 Accepted: 2014-07-02 Published online: 2014-07-15 Key words: group B Streptococcus serotyping; pregnancy; prophylaxis Neuroendocrinol Lett 2014; 35(4):301–305 PMID: 25038604 NEL350414A05 © 2014 Neuroendocrinology Letters • www.nel.edu Abstract BACKGROUND: To evaluate Streptococcus group B (GBS) serotype distribution in anovaginal isolates of women in term pregnancy and to assess the correlation of the distribution with socio-epidemiological variables and neonatal outcomes. DESIGN: An observational study. SETTINGS: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Specialist Teaching Hos- pital in Tychy, Poland. POPULATION: 80 women between 37 and 40 gestation weeks with preserved fetal membranes and who had not been treated with antibiotics for at least two weeks before the study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The specimens from the vagina and the rectum of pregnant women were collected. GBS colonization tests were conducted in com- pliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. Sero- typing of the isolates was performed using the Essum GBS Serotyping Kit (Umea, Sweden) according to manufacturer’s instruction. Mein outcome measures. GBS serotype distribution in the population of Polish women in term pregnancy. RESULTS: In the studied group of 80 pregnant women GBS colonization rate was 28.7%. Four GBS serotypes were observed (Ia, V, III and II). Serotype Ia was the most predominant – 43.47%. For GBS Ia, V and III serotypes, no significant differ- ence in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and neonatal outcomes was observed. Only in one case early-onset sepsis was diagnosed in the neonate and serotype Ia was determined. CONCLUSIONS: 1) From among four identified GBS serotypes in the population of Polish pregnant women, serotype Ia was the most dominant. 2) For GBS sero- types, no significant difference in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and neonatal outcomes was observed. 3) Active immunization aimed for preventing GBS colo- nization in mothers should include not only serotypes V, II and III but also Ia in order to be an effective and safe in preventing life threatening neonatal infections.