[Ureaplasma urealyticum infection and premature delivery or premature rupture of the membrane].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationships between ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection and premature delivery or premature rupture of the membrane (PROM).


METHODS
The cervical swabs, fetal membrane and umbilical cord from 46 cases of PROM, 7 cases of premature delivery (study group), and 32 normal pregnancies (control group) were cultured for UU. Some of these placenta tissues were examined under electron microscopy, and compared with the purified UU.


RESULTS
The detective rates of UU were both 73.6% (39/53) in the cervix and fetal membrane of the study group, and to compare with the control group (40.6%, 13/32 and 15.6%, 5/32 respectively), significant differences were shown (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). The prevalence rate of perinatal mortality, stillbirth and low birth weight in UU-positive cases (34.1%, 15/44) was significantly higher than that in UU-negative cases (7.3%, 3/41, P < 0.01). Electron microscopy demonstrated that large amount of small multiplicated UU particles deposited around the nuclear membrane of the cytotrophoblasts and in the collagen fibers from the placenta of PROM, and its shape was in consistent with that of the purified UU. In contrast, no UU particles was seen in the normal control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show that UU is responsible for some cases of premature delivery, low birth weight and PROM. The multiplication of UU within the trophoblasts may disrupt cell structure which could interfere the normal fetal development.
Zhou
L
L
Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325003.
Zhou
J
J
Bao
Q
Q
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum