Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus: correlation with hormonal status in women

In view of recent observations on hormone-microorganism interactions, a study of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in relation to sex-hormone status was undertaken. Prospectively in 479 women attending a colpocytologic clinic, hormonal status was assessed by determining the karyopyknotic index (KI) on smears stained by the Papanicolaou method. Rates of S. aureus nasal carriage were 29.3% in premenopausal women and 21.9% in postmenopausal women (P not significant). Carriage rates were significantly higher (P = .026, chi 2 7.32) for women with high KIs (40.7%) than for those with intermediate and low KIs (27.03% and 25.1%, respectively). S. aureus nasal carriage also correlated independently and significantly with previous antibiotic use and the presence of insulin-treated diabetes mellitus. This preliminary observation confirms an association between levels of sex hormones as reflected by the KI and S. aureus nasal carriage rates.