title: Mycoplasma fermentans DNA is infrequently detected in urine specimens from renal transplant recipients.
abstract: Mycoplasma fermentans is a likely causative agent of HIV-associated nephropathy. In a pilot study, M. fermentans DNA was detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in urine samples from renal allograft recipients; nine (39.1%) out of 23 renal allograft recipients (most of whom had chronic allograft rejection) and none of the 20 controls, were infected with M. fermentans. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of M. fermentans in urine samples from renal allograft recipients. Midstream urine samples were centrifuged at 13,000 x g, purified with QIAamp and tested with PCR using RW004/RW005 and an internal control to screen for the presence of inhibitors. Of the 264 participants recruited, 263 completed the questionnaire (172 men, 92 women); 53 had chronic renal allograft rejection, 106 had chronic renal dysfunction without rejection, 69 had a normal renal allograft for more than 3 months and 35 had a renal allograft for less than 3 months. All urine samples yielded positive results for the internal control. Mycoplasma fermentans DNA was detected once i prospectively collected urine samples. The only individual infected with M. fermentans was also seropositive for HIV-1. This study demonstrates that M. fermentans can be at most sporadically detected in urine from patients living with a renal allograft but is not implicated in chronic rejection of allograft.
authors.affiliation: Département de Microbiologie-Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Qué., Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coutlée
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saint-Louis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Voyer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daloze
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghadirian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial