Immunoglobulin E antibodies to seminal fluid in women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: relation to onset and timing of symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome and control subjects were tested for evidence of allergy to seminal fluid to differentiate women with a clinical diagnosis of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome into discrete categories.

STUDY DESIGN: Plasma samples from 52 women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome and 43 control subjects were tested for immunoglobulin E antibodies to seminal fluid, total immunoglobulin E, interleukin-4, and interleukin-12 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic and medical histories were obtained by questionnaire and interview.

RESULTS: Sixteen of the patients (30.8%) with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome and 2 control subjects (4.7%) tested positive for immunoglobulin E antiseminal fluid. Symptoms began after sexual intercourse in 43.8% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E positive and 11.1% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E negative (P=.02). Symptom initiation after a yeast infection was reported by 31.3% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E positive and by 2.8% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E negative (P=.008). Other symptom-initiating events were reported by 47.2% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E negative and by none of the women who tested immunoglobulin E positive (P=.0008). Fifty percent of the women who tested immunoglobulin E positive, as opposed to 22.2% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E negative, reported pain only after intercourse (P=.05). Pain at other times occurred in 50% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E positive and in 72.2% of the women who tested immunoglobulin E negative (P=.001). There was no relation between immunoglobulin E antiseminal fluid and total immunoglobulin E, interleukin-4,or interleukin-12.

CONCLUSION: A subset of women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome are sensitized to seminal fluid, and an allergic reaction to seminal fluid may be associated with the initiation and persistence of their symptoms.