Microbiology of acute arthropathies among children in Argentina: Mycoplasma pneumoniae and hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the isolation of mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas from synovial fluid in pediatric patients with joint disorders.


METHODS
During 1 year 45 samples of synovial fluid, blood and urine were collected from 33 hospitalized pediatric patients up to 17 years old who had joint disorders. Mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas were isolated in joint fluid by culture methods.


RESULTS
Of the 33 patients 12 (36%) had joint disorders associated with pathogens (bacteria, Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma, Chlamydia) present at the site of inflammation. Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were isolated from 3 and 1% of joint fluid samples, respectively. M. pneumoniae was isolated from nasopharyngeal secretion in a patient with evidence of a reactive arthritis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results raise the question of the possible role of Mycoplasma as a cofactor in the triggering of inflammatory joint disease, as well as the hypothesis that arthropathies may be caused by chronic local infection. These findings may contribute to early diagnosis of the disease and initiation of specific treatment.
Poggio
T V
TV
Virology Laboratory, Ricardo Gutierrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina. viro@guti.sld.ar
Orlando
N
N
Galanternik
L
L
Grinstein
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001118:Argentina; D001168:Arthritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M