Role of chlamydia and mycoplasma in the etiology of nongonococcal urethritis [NGU] in men

ABSTRACT

A total of 70 men [patients and controls] were included in the present study. 50 patients complained either of spontaneous urethral discharge or a discharge was demonstrable on penile stripping with >/= 4 PMNs/HPF in urethral smear and with negative smear and culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae; these men were designated as the NGU group. The remaining 20 men were completely asymptomatic; they were designated as the control group. By passage of urethral swabs specimens were obtained for smear and culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, culture for mycoplasma, and smear for chlamydia [for immunofluorescence staining]. Chlamydia tracomatis was identified from significantly more NGU patients [23 [46%] of 50] than from men with no-urethitis [1 [5%] of 20]. Ureaplasma urealyticum was isolated from 14 [28%] of 50 NGU, this agent was found to be significantly associated with chlamydia-negative NGU patients [11 [41%] of 27 patients] than either chlamydia-positive NGU [3 [13%] of 23 patients] or men with no-urethritis [3 [15%] of 20 men]. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of isolation of Mycoplasma hominis between NGU patients and controls. Clinically there were no prominant differences observed between the NGU group and the control group