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.
