Mycoplasma fermentans in individuals seropositive and seronegative for HIV-1.
Mycoplasmas have been suggested as a co-factor to explain various puzzling features of infection by human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). We sought Mycoplasma fermentans by means of a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), throat swabs, and urine samples from 117 HIV-seropositive patients (of whom 114 were homosexual men). M fermentans was detected in 12 (10%) PBMC samples, 15 (23%) of 65 throat samples, and 4 (8%) of 55 urine samples from the seropositive subjects. The organism was detected in similar proportions among 73 HIV-seronegative patients recruited from a sexually transmitted diseases clinic (9%, 20%, and 6%, respectively); again, most of the men (40 of 50) in this group were homosexual. We found no association between infection by the mycoplasma and stage of disease, CD4 count, or HIV-1 load. These findings do not, however, eliminate the possibility that the mycoplasmal infection could affect the speed of disease progression.
Katseni
V L
VL
Department of Genitourinary Medicine and Communicable Diseases, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
Gilroy
C B
CB
Ryait
B K
BK
Ariyoshi
K
K
Bieniasz
P D
PD
Weber
J N
JN
Taylor-Robinson
D
D
D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000382:microbiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D004269:DNA, Bacterial