Background: Vaginitis is a common condition seen in the field of gynecology and is caused by a wide range of infectious agents. These include bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The immune response to these different etiologies may also differ; examining it could provide information on host-pathogen interactions.

Objectives: To assess the serum levels of IL-7 in women with different types of vaginitis and compare these levels with those in healthy controls to try to find an immunological profile corresponding to each etiological agent.

Method: Seventy women who had been diagnosed with vaginitis, along with 60 healthy controls, were enrolled at Al-Najaf General Hospital, Iraq, between February 2025 and September 2025. Women who had taken antibiotics or antifungals in a recent episode of chronic disease were excluded; also excluded were pregnant or lactating women. The clinical diagnosis of vaginitis was confirmed by a gynecologist through physical examination and laboratory tests (vaginal pH, wet mount, and whiff test). Serum IL-7 levels were quantified using ELISA.

Results: Bacterial infections were identified as the leading cause of vaginitis since 48% was reported. It was followed by fungal infections at 38%, parasitic at 16%. The present study found a significantly higher mean IL-7 level in patients with vaginitis (18.24 ± 8.34 pg/ml) compared to controls (16.22 ± 7.11 pg/ml) with a T value of 2.88 and P =0 .029 . Subgroup analysis showed that bacterial vaginitis presented the highest concentration of IL-7 (22.7±4.09 pg/ml), significantly greater than in fungal, parasitic, or mixed infections (F =6.22 , P=0 .005).

Conclusions: IL-7 levels are high in women with vaginitis. In bacterial infections, since there is an active immunological response mediated by IL-7, it provokes good reaction. This cytokine can also be used as a good biomarker for etiological differentiation of vaginitis as well as pathogen-specific immune responses.

To be Updated