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Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology 2015Ureaplasma species are the most prevalent genital Mycoplasma isolated from the urogenital tract of both men and women. Ureaplasma has 14 known serotypes and is divided... (Review)
Review
Ureaplasma species are the most prevalent genital Mycoplasma isolated from the urogenital tract of both men and women. Ureaplasma has 14 known serotypes and is divided into two biovars- Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum. The organism has several genes coding for surface proteins, the most important being the gene encoding the Multiple Banded Antigen (MBA). The C-terminal domain of MBA is antigenic and elicits a host antibody response. Other virulence factors include phospholipases A and C, IgA protease and urease. Besides genital tract infections and infertility, Ureaplasma is also associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and diseases in the newborn (chronic lung disease and retinopathy of prematurity). Infection produces cytokines in the amniotic fluid which initiates preterm labour. They have also been reported from renal stone and suppurative arthritis. Genital infections have also been reported with an increasing frequency in HIV-infected patients. Ureaplasma may be a candidate 'co factor' in the pathogenesis of AIDS. Culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are the mainstay of diagnosis. Commercial assays are available with improved turnaround time. Micro broth dilution is routinely used to test antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates. The organisms are tested against azithromycin, josamycin, ofloxacin and doxycycline. Resistance to macrolides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones have been reported. The susceptibility pattern also varies among the biovars with biovar 2 maintaining higher sensitivity rates. Prompt diagnosis and initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy is essential to prevent long term complications of Ureaplasma infections. After surveying PubMed literature using the terms 'Ureaplasma', 'Ureaplasma urealyticum' and 'Ureaplasma parvum', relevant literature were selected to provide a concise review on the recent developments.
Topics: Antibodies, Bacterial; Antigens, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ureaplasma; Ureaplasma Infections; Ureaplasma urealyticum; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 25865969
DOI: 10.4103/0255-0857.154850 -
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases Jun 2013Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum may colonize the human genital tract and have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Chorioamnionitis,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum may colonize the human genital tract and have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Chorioamnionitis, spontaneous preterm labour and preterm premature rupture of membranes are significant contributors to neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, as these bacteria can reside in the normal vaginal flora, there are controversies regarding their true role during pregnancy and thus the need to treat these organisms.
RECENT FINDINGS
We review here the recent data on the epidemiology of mycoplasmas and their clinical role during pregnancy. The association of these organisms with preterm labour has been suggested by many observational studies, but proof of causality remains limited. PCR is an excellent alternative to culture to detect the presence of these organisms, but culture allows antibiotic susceptibility testing. Whether antimicrobial treatment of mycoplasma-colonized pregnant patients can effectively reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes warrants further investigations.
SUMMARY
The role of Mycoplasma spp. and U. urealyticum in adverse pregnancy outcomes is increasingly accepted. However, sole presence of these microorganisms in the vaginal flora might be insufficient to cause pathological issues, but their combination with other factors such as bacterial vaginosis or cervical incompetence may be additionally needed to induce preterm birth.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Female; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycoplasma Infections; Mycoplasma hominis; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature Birth; Reproductive Tract Infections; Ureaplasma Infections; Ureaplasma urealyticum
PubMed: 23587772
DOI: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e328360db58 -
Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia :... Jun 2021Within Mycoplasma genus, M. pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. hominis or U. urealyticum are the main species that have been traditionally linked to infectious processes.... (Review)
Review
Within Mycoplasma genus, M. pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. hominis or U. urealyticum are the main species that have been traditionally linked to infectious processes. However, there are many other species involved in these conditions and that are, frequently, unfamiliar to healthcare professionals. The aim of this review is to identify all Mycoplasma genus species that have been isolated in human beings and to determine their involvement in infectious pathology.
Topics: Humans; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma Infections; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma hominis; Ureaplasma Infections; Ureaplasma urealyticum
PubMed: 33735544
DOI: 10.37201/req/014.2021 -
BMJ Open Aug 2022and (genital mycoplasmas) commonly colonise the urogenital tract in pregnant women. This systematic review aims to investigate their role in adverse pregnancy and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
and (genital mycoplasmas) commonly colonise the urogenital tract in pregnant women. This systematic review aims to investigate their role in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, alone or in combination with bacterial vaginosis (BV).
METHODS
We searched Embase, Medline and CINAHL databases from January 1971 to February 2021. Eligible studies tested for any of the three genital mycoplasmas during pregnancy and reported on the primary outcome, preterm birth (PTB) and/or secondary outcomes low birth weight (LBW), premature rupture of membranes (PROM), spontaneous abortion (SA) and/or perinatal or neonatal death (PND).Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, read potentially eligible full texts and extracted data. Two reviewers independently assessed risks of bias using published checklists. Random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate summary ORs (with 95% CIs and prediction intervals). Multivariable and stratified analyses were synthesised descriptively.
RESULTS
Of 57/1194 included studies, 39 were from high-income countries. In meta-analysis of unadjusted ORs, was associated with PTB (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.49 to 2.34), PROM, LBW and PND but not SA. was associated with PTB (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.55), PROM, LBW, SA and PND. was associated with PTB (1.60, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.30), PROM and SA. Nine of 57 studies reported any multivariable analysis. In two studies, analyses stratified by BV status showed that and were more strongly associated with PTB in the presence than in the absence of BV. The most frequent source of bias was a failure to control for confounding.
CONCLUSIONS
The currently available literature does not allow conclusions about the role of mycoplasmas in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, alone or with coexisting BV. Future studies that consider genital mycoplasmas in the context of the vaginal microbiome are needed.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42016050962.
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Mycoplasma Infections; Mycoplasma hominis; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Premature Birth; Ureaplasma; Ureaplasma urealyticum; Vaginosis, Bacterial
PubMed: 36028274
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062990 -
International Journal of Reproductive... Mar 2021() and () may colonize the male genital tract. However, the negative effects of these bacteria on overall sperm quality, including semen pH, sperm concentration,...
BACKGROUND
() and () may colonize the male genital tract. However, the negative effects of these bacteria on overall sperm quality, including semen pH, sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and total sperm count remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine the presence of genital and in semen and evaluate the effect of these organisms on sperm quality.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 380 men from infertile couples at a tertiary university hospital from July 2017 to June 2018. Semen quality was analyzed according to the World Health Organization 2010 standard, and and were detected in the semen samples using polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS
338 men (88.9%) presented with at least one abnormal semen parameter. The detection rates of and were 16.05% and 0.79%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the -positive group and the -negative group in terms of sperm characteristics. Sperm motility and sperm vitality in the positive group were much lower than those in the -negative group (p = 0.02 and p 0.001, respectively).
CONCLUSION
The presence of in the semen of infertile men did not affect the sperm characteristics. Although the positive rate of was low, colonization by these bacteria was more likely to negatively affect sperm quality.
PubMed: 35571499
DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v20i3.10710 -
Biomedical Reports Oct 2023The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of (), () and () in a Romanian population considering the presence or absence of genital symptoms....
The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of (), () and () in a Romanian population considering the presence or absence of genital symptoms. Urethral and vaginal samples were collected from patients presenting at 'Ponderas' Academic Hospital (Bucharest, Romania) from January 2021 to December 2021. A total of 266 samples were obtained from two groups of patients: Symptomatic subjects with urethritis, prostatitis, vaginitis or both urethritis and prostatitis (n=59; 22%), and asymptomatic subjects (n=207; 78%). and kits were used to assess the presence of and , and , respectively. The symptomatic subjects comprised 27 patients with urethritis symptoms, of whom 4 (15%) were infected with and 1 (4%) was infected with . In addition, 23 (9%) of the patients had prostatitis-like symptoms, which in 3 (13%) of the patients was associated with and in 1 patient (4%) was associated with . None of the symptomatic patients were infected with . By contrast, 29 (14%) of the asymptomatic patients were discovered to be infected with , 13 (6%) were coinfected with both Mollicutes and 4 (2%) were infected with ; only 1 patient was positive for alone. Two patients (14%) who presented with and coinfection were also infected with . No patient with or alone was also positive for . Therefore, the most frequently identified pathogen populating the genital tract in both males and females was , followed by coinfection with and , and . As these infections are asymptomatic in numerous cases, this suggests that a thorough screening should be mandatory.
PubMed: 37746588
DOI: 10.3892/br.2023.1656 -
Deutsches Arzteblatt International Jul 2016
Topics: Humans; Ureaplasma urealyticum
PubMed: 27412992
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2016.0460b -
Andrology Sep 2015The relationship between mycoplasma and ureaplasma infection and male infertility has been studied widely; however, results remain controversial. This meta-analysis... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The relationship between mycoplasma and ureaplasma infection and male infertility has been studied widely; however, results remain controversial. This meta-analysis investigated the association between genital ureaplasmas (Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum) and mycoplasmas (Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium), and risk of male infertility. Differences in prevalence of ureaplasma and mycoplasma infection between China and the rest of the world were also compared. Study data were collected from PubMed, Embase and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Summary odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied to assess the relationship. Heterogeneity testing and publication bias testing were also performed. A total of 14 studies were used: five case-control studies with 611 infertile cases and 506 controls featuring U. urealyticum infection, and nine case-control studies with 2410 cases and 1223 controls concerning M. hominis infection. Two other infection (U. parvum and M. genitalium) were featured in five and three studies, respectively. The meta-analysis results indicated that U. parvum and M. genitalium are not associated with male infertility. However, a significant relationship existed between U. urealyticum and M. hominis and male infertility. Comparing the global average with China, a significantly higher positive rate of U. urealyticum, but a significantly lower positive rate of M. hominis, was observed in both the infertile and control groups in China.
Topics: China; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Infertility, Male; Male; Mycoplasma Infections; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma hominis; Ureaplasma; Ureaplasma Infections; Ureaplasma urealyticum
PubMed: 26311339
DOI: 10.1111/andr.12078 -
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine Jan 2022Chorioamnionitis or intra-amniotic infection is an infection that affects the intrauterine content during pregnancy. Numerous studies have reported vaginal colonization...
Chorioamnionitis or intra-amniotic infection is an infection that affects the intrauterine content during pregnancy. Numerous studies have reported vaginal colonization with various types of infectious agents as a risk factor for chorioamnionitis. Although this complication occurs due to the ascending polymicrobial bacterial infection at the time of membrane breakage, it may also occur in pregnant women with intact membranes, mainly due to () and (. ). The main aim of the present study was to identify a region-specific panel of infectious agents that can be used more accurately determine premature birth, as well as the premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Thus, a 10-year retrospective study was conducted. A total of 1,301 pregnant women with PROM and premature birth or spontaneous abortion were included in the study. It was observed that the main infectious agent varied in the five groups analyzed in total. The infectious agent distribution also varied depending on environmental parameters. was found to be the most frequently detected germ amongst the infectious agents of the vaginal cultures from pregnant women enrolled in the present study, regardless of gestational age. On the whole, the findings of the present study suggest that additional studies are required, in order to confirm that diagnosis and treatment according to laboratory results of vaginal infections with / during the first trimester of pregnancy could prevent premature birth, abortion or chorioamnionitis.
PubMed: 34934454
DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.11012 -
Infection and Drug Resistance 2023and began to show resistance to azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly used in pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are few effective and safe drugs in the clinic...
PURPOSE
and began to show resistance to azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly used in pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are few effective and safe drugs in the clinic for genital mycoplasmas in pregnant women. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of azithromycin-resistant and infections in pregnant women. The secondary research objects were possible influencing factors and consequences of insensitive Mycoplasma infection.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A retrospective analysis was carried out in pregnant women who underwent cervical Mycoplasma culture between October 2020 and October 2021 at a large general hospital in eastern China. The sociological characteristics and clinical information of these women were collected and analyzed.
RESULTS
A total of 375 pregnant women were enrolled, and 402 cultured mycoplasma specimens were collected. Overall, 186 (49.60%) patients tested positive cervical Mycoplasma infection, and 37 (9.87%) had infections caused by azithromycin-resistant Mycoplasma. In total, 39 mycoplasma samples were insensitive to azithromycin in vitro, also showing extremely high resistance to erythromycin, roxithromycin, and clarithromycin. Azithromycin was the only antibiotic used in women with Mycoplasma cervical infection, regardless of azithromycin resistance in vitro. Statistical results showed that azithromycin-resistant cervical Mycoplasma infection in pregnant women was unrelated to age, body mass index (BMI), gestational age, number of embryos, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) use, but led to a significantly increased incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortion (SA), preterm birth (PTB), preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM), and stillbirth).
CONCLUSION
Azithromycin-resistant and cervical infections are relatively common during pregnancy, and can increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, there is currently a lack of safe and effective drug treatments. Herein, we show that azithromycin-resistant mycoplasma infection requires timely intervention.
PubMed: 37305734
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S405286