부산대학교 도서관

Candida albicans is a species of yeast which is present as a part of the normal intestinal flora. Under some conditions, this yeast can colonize the vagina, resulting in candida vaginitis. There has been much discussion of a syndrome which is believed to result from the development of hypersensitivity to C. albicans. The syndrome is thought to result when the use of oral contraceptives, the overuse of antibiotics, or other factors result in overgrowth of the yeast on mucosal surfaces. Those who believe this syndrome exists claim that this results in an allergic or toxic generalized response which can cause a variety of symptoms, including severe premenstrual tension, menstrual irregularity, bloating, heartburn, constipation, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, and memory deficits. Since the drug nystatin is effective against Candida albicans, a study was undertaken to determine if nystatin ameliorates the symptoms of the supposed candidiasis hypersensitivity syndrome. Forty-two women received the following four treatments for eight weeks each: oral and vaginal nystatin; oral nystatin and vaginal placebo; oral placebo and vaginal nystatin; and oral placebo and vaginal placebo. As expected, the three treatment conditions containing nystatin were more effective than the all-placebo regimen for the reduction of symptoms of vaginal candidiasis. However, the symptoms of the candidiasis hypersensitivity syndrome were reduced by about the same amount by all the treatments. An average of 25 percent symptom reduction was seen in the three treatments that included nystatin in some form, and a reduction in symptoms of 23 percent was seen in the all-placebo treatment. All four treatments were also equally effective in reducing psychological symptoms and feelings of global distress. Thus the recommendation that nystatin be used for women with presumed candidiasis hypersensitivity syndrome appears to be unwarranted, because it had no greater effect than placebo. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)