Utilidad de la reacción de polimerasa en cadena convencional para la detección de Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma spp. y Trichomonas vaginalis en muestras genitales de mujeres en consulta ambulatoria / Usefulness of conventional polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma spp. and Trichomonas vaginalis in female outpatient's genital samples

Introduction: Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma spp. are microorganisms responsible for genitourinary and pregnancy pathologies. Nucleic acid amplification methods have shown several advantages, but have not been widely studied for the detection of these microorganisms. Aim: To implement a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of the microorganisms and to compare its results versus the methods currently used at our laboratory. Material and Methods: 91 available samples were processed by PCR, culture (M. hominis y Ureaplasma spp.) and wet mount (T vaginalis). Results were compared and statistically analyzed by kappa agreement test. Results: 85, 80 and 87 samples resulted in agreement for the detection of M. hominis, Ureaplasma spp. y T. vaginalis, respectively. For M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp., agreement was substantial, whereas for T. vaginalis it was moderate, however, for the latter, PCR detected more cases than wet mount. Conclusion: We recommend the implementation of PCR for detection of T. vaginalis whereas culture kit is still a useful method for the other microorganisms.

Introducción: Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis y Ureaplasma spp. son microorganismos causantes de patología genito-urinaria y durante el embarazo. Los métodos de amplificación de ácidos nucleicos han demostrado numerosas ventajas, pero no han sido ampliamente estudiados para la detección de estos microorganismos. Objetivo: Implementar una reacción de polimerasa en cadena convencional (RPC) para su detección y comparar sus resultados con los métodos actuales de nuestro laboratorio. Material y Métodos: Se procesaron 91 muestras mediante RPC, cultivo (M. hominis y Ureaplasma spp.) y observación microscópica al fresco (T. vaginalis). Los resultados fueron comparados y analizados estadísticamente mediante el test de concordancia kappa. Resultados: 85, 80 y 87 muestras tuvieron resultados concordantes para la detección de M. hominis, Ureaplasma spp. y T. vaginalis, respectivamente. Para M. hominis y Ureaplasma spp. el nivel de concordancia fue considerable mientras que para T. vaginalis fue moderado; sin embargo, para esta última, la RPC detectó más casos que la microscopia al fresco. Conclusión: Se recomienda la implementación de la RPC para la detección de T. vaginalis. Para M. hominis y Ureaplasma spp. el kit de cultivo continúa siendo un buen método.

Infertilidad tubárica e infección genital por Chlamydia trachomatis-Ureaplasma urealyticum / Genital infection and tubal infertility by Chlamydia tra-chomatis or Ureaplasma urealyticum

Objetivo: establecer la asociación entre la infertilidad tubarica y la infección cervical por Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) o Ureaplasma urealiticum (UU), en mujeres infértiles. Métodos: investigación comparativa y aplicada, con diseño de tipo no experimental, de casos y controles, contemporáneo transeccional y de campo, que incluyó 60 mujeres, separadas en dos grupos pareados de acuerdo si eran infértiles (casos) o fértiles (controles), a las cuales se les tomó una muestra de hisopado endocervical para el diagnóstico molecular de CT o UU y se les realizó una histerosalpingografía para evaluar la permeabilidad de las trompas uterinas. Resultados: se detectó una prevalencia en mujeres infértiles y fértiles de infección por CT o UU del 18 por ciento y 35 por ciento, respectivamente; siendo mayor entre las mujeres infértiles, diferencia significativa solo para UU (p<0,05). Se detectó una mayor permeabilidad tubárica en las pacientes fértiles que en las infértiles (80 por ciento vs. 40 por ciento), siendo el compromiso tubárico mayor en las pacientes infértiles (p<0,05). Al asociar el diagnóstico de CT o UU con los resultados de la histerosalpingografía se constató que la detección de uno de estos microorganismos aumentaba casi 3 o 5 veces más la probabilidad de presentar obstrucción tubárica, respectivamente, diferencias no significativas (p>0,05). Conclusión: una gran parte de las mujeres infértiles presentan infección por CT o UU, patógenos de transmisión sexual que pudiesen tener responsabilidad en el daño tubárico.

Objective: to establish the association between tubal infertility and cervical infection by Chlamydia tra-chomatis (CT) or Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) in infertile women. Methods: a comparative, and applied research with a non-experimental, case-control, contemporary-transactional and field design, including 60 women, separated into two groups matched according whether they were infertile (cases) or fertile (controls), in which was took a sample of endocervical swabs for molecular diagnosis of cT or UU and underwent hysterosalpingography to assess the permeability of the fallopian tubes. Results: it was detected in infertile and fertile women a prevalence of CT or UU infection of 18 percent and 35 percent, respectively; being higher detection among infertile women, although this difference was significant only for UU (p <0.05). Also detected more tubal permeability in fertile patients that in infertile (80 percent vs. 40 percent), being higher in engagement tubal in infertility patients (p<0.05). By associating the diagnosis of both CT and UU with hysterosalpingography'sresults found that the diagnosis of one of these microorganisms increased almost 3 to 5 times more likely to have obstruction of the fallopian tubes, respectively; although this higher risk doesn't showed significance (p>0.05). Conclusion: a large proportion of infertile women have CT or UU infection, sexually transmitted pathogens that might have tubal damage liability.

Simultaneous and rapid differential diagnosis of Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum based on a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Objectives: The aim of this investigation was to simultaneously detect and differentiate Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum in female patients suffering from genital complications by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Materials and Methods : Genital swabs were taken from 210 patients. They were transported to the laboratory in phosphate-buffered saline. For PCR, samples were analysed with genus-specific MyUu-R and MyUu-F primers. This primer set, which was originally designed in our laboratory, amplified a 465 bp fragment (M. genitalium) and a 559 bp fragment (U. urealyticum). Samples containing a band of the expected sizes for the Mycoplasma strains were subjected to digestion with a restriction endonuclease enzyme of TaqI and Cac8I. Results: Of the 210 samples, a total of 100 (47.6%) samples were found to be positive for Mycoplasmas (seven M. genitalium isolates, 3.3%; and 89 U. urealyticum isolates, 42.4%), and coinfections with both species were detected in four samples (1.9%). The PCR-RFLP results showed that M. genitalium and U. urealyticum are different by enzyme patterns. Conclusion: PCR-RFLP offers a rapid and easily applicable protocol to simultaneous detection and differentiation of M. genitalium and U. urealyticum from clinical samples when specific primers and restriction enzymes are used.

A Case of Erythromycin-Resistant Ureaplasma urealyticum Meningitis in a Premature Infant / 대한진단검사의학회지

Ureaplasma urealyticum causes infection or colonization of female genital tracts associated with preterm delivery and infertility and the infection of the bloodstream, respiratory tract, and central nervous system in infants, especially in prematures. We report the first case of U. urealyticum meningitis in a premature infant in Korea. She was born with a birth weight of 1,481 gram at 32+3 weeks' gestation and hospitalized for a respiratory care in the NICU in November 2005. Endotracheal aspirates and urine cultures grew U. urealyticum at or = 10(4) CFU/mL of CSF. The patient had a marked CSF pleocytosis, low glucose and high protein content on the 13th hospital day. CSF cultures for ordinary bacteria, mycobacteria and fungi remained negative. U. urealyticum was resistant to erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and pristinamycin, but susceptible to doxycycline. Although she was treated with erythromycin for 30 days, the organism was still isolated four times from the CSF with fluctuation of C-reactive protein (CRP). After the addition of chloramphenicol, CSF cultures became negative in 3 days. However, CRP rose again with increased BUN at the 99th hospital day, and she died on the 103rd hospital day under the diagnosis of a clinical sepsis of unknown origin. In acute meningitis of prematures already colonized with U. urealyticum, ureaplasmal cultures and susceptibility test are warranted in Korea.

Parto prematuro con membranas intactas: microbiología del líquido amniótico y tracto genital inferior y su relación con los resultados materno neonatales / Premature labor with intact membranes: relationship of amniotic fluid and lower genital tract microbiology with maternal and neonatal outcomes

Background: The prevalence of idiopathic spontaneous premature labor or without an evident clinical cause, has not been reduced with tocolytic treatments, suggesting that premature labor has multiple causes and infections play a not well-defined role. Aim: To perform microbiological studies of the amniotic fluid and of the lower genital tract in women with idiopathic premature labor and intact membranes, relating these findings with maternal and neonatal outcomes. Patients and methods: Women with pregnancies between 24 and 34 weeks, with premature labor and without an evident clinical cause were enrolled. Amniotic fluid and genital tract samples were obtained for traditional microbiological cultures. This information was related with delivery events and neonatal outcome. Results: Sixty-three patients were included. The overall frequency of microbial invasion of amniotic cavity was 23.8 percent and of cervical or vaginal infection was 63.5 percent (in 39.7 percent there was only cervical or vaginal infection without involvement of the amniotic sac). Absence of infection was documented in 36.5 percent of women. Compared to patients without infection, women with microbial invasion of amniotic cavity had a higher rate of prematurity (73.3 percent p < 0.05), a higher rate of prematurity of less than 34 weeks (60 percent p < 0.01), a higher frequency of preterm rupture of membranes (40 percent p < 0.001), a shorter admission-to-delivery interval (median 3.0 days p < 0.01) and lower gestational age at delivery (median 33 weeks p < 0.01). Clinical chorioamnionitis and endometritis (20 percent p < 0.01) was observed only in patients with amniotic cavity infections. Severe asphyxia (26.7 percent p < 0.05) and neonatal admission to Intensive Care Units (46.7 percent p < 0.05) were more frequent and neonatal weight was less in the offspring of women with microbial invasion of amniotic cavity (2020 g median p < 0.01). Conclusions: In preterm labor with intact membranes, intraamniotic infection is the most frequent cause of prematurity and is associated with a higher prevalence of maternal and neonatal problems

Infecçäo Genital Feminina por Mycoplasma Hominis e Ureaplasma Urealyticum e sua Relaçäo com a Gravidez e a Infecçäo pelo HIV-1 / Female Genital infection caused by Mycoplasma Hominis and Ureaplasma Urealyticum Related with Pregnancy and HIV-1 Infection

INTRODUÇÄO: Atualmente tem sido realçado o papel da infecçäo genital feminina por Mycoplasma hominis (MH) e Ureaplasma urealiticum (UU) na genesi das complicaçöes sistêmicas que extrapolam a singularidade da infecçäo. A possibilidade de troca de material genético com a célula acometida sustenta um papel na genesi das doenças do conjuntivo e na formaçäo de super-antigenos piorando o prognóstico de mulheres contaminadas pelo Virus da Imunodeficiência Humana tipo 1 (HIV-1). OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a freqüência da infecçäo genital do MH e UU em mulheres, considerando o estado de portadora do HIV-1 e gestaçäo. CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo envolvendo 183 mulheres atendidas em um Hospital Universitário entre 1995 e 1996. Dividiu-se as pacientes do estudo em quatro grupos. O grupo I foi formado por 61 gestantes consideradas normais, o grupo II por 12 gestantes portadoras do HIV-1, o grupo III por 60 mulheres näo gestantes portadoras do HIV-1 e o grupo IV por 50 mulheres näo gestantes e näo contaminadas pelo HIV-1. O método utilizado para identificacao do MH e UU foi cultura com diluiçöes sucessivas, considerando positivo as diluiçöes maiores que 10 após a mudança de cor dos meios de cultura. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÄO: Observou-se que as taxas de infecçäo genital pelo MH e UU säo baixas na populaçäo feminina, independentemente de sua condiçäo de portadora do HIV. Verificou-se que no período gestacional a freqüência do MH foi estatisticamente mais baixa ( 1,4 por cento) do que na populaçäo näo gestante ( 12,7 por cento). Näo se observou influência gestacional sobre a freqüência do UU. Sugere-se a todos que tenham condiçöes de cultivo para estes microrganimos que o executem

Factores de riesgo para las infecciones causadas por Ureaplasma diversum en vacas de un ambiente tropical / Risk factors for Ureaplasma diversum infections in cattle of a tropical environment

A case-control study, determined the influence of breed, age and number of deliveries as risk factors for Ureaplasma genital infections in Costa Rica dairy cattle. The animals with none or one delivery had a risk of infection 2.99 times higher than those with several parturition, regardless of breed. The risk was 1.95 times higher in Jersey than in Holstein, and decreased progressively until three deliveries. In cows with four deliveries there was a significant increase in the amount of animals infected and also a significant difference in the rate of infection between Holstein (27 per cent) and Jersey (64 per cent). Ureaplasma isolation was rare in cows with more than six deliveries