Midtrimester vaginal Mycoplasma genitalium in women with subsequent spontaneous preterm birth.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the midtrimester prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium in women who had subsequent spontaneous preterm birth.


METHODS
In a prospective study of lower genital tract infections, we identified 127 women who subsequently had spontaneous preterm birth. Vaginal samples were obtained between 21 and 25 weeks' gestation for pH, for bacterial vaginosis Gram stain, and cultures that yielded Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. M genitalium was identified by using validated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, and the results were compared to pregnancy outcomes.


RESULTS
Of 124 women with spontaneous preterm births, only five (3.9%) had PCR assays positive forM genitalium. The mean +/- SD delivery gestational age was similar for women with a positive PCR (34.6 +/- 2.2 weeks) and a negative PCR (34.0 +/- 2.7 weeks) (P =.62). None of the women with positive PCR results tested positive for any other sexually transmitted disease, whereas 36 (30%) women with negative PCR results tested positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of M genitalium in the vagina at midtrimester is infrequent in women with subsequent spontaneous preterm birth.
Lu
G C
GC
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 619 S 19th St., Birmingham, AL 35249, USA. gclu@uab.edu
Schwebke
J R
JR
Duffy
L B
LB
Cassell
G H
GH
Hauth
J C
JC
Andrews
W W
WW
Goldenberg
R L
RL
D000818:Animals; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial