Serological investigation of Mycoplasma genitalium in infertile women.
BACKGROUND
The role of Mycoplasma genitalium in the pathogenesis of pelvic inflammatory disease has not been characterized.


METHODS
Sera from 308 infertile women were investigated for antibodies to M. genitalium by immunoblotting. Women with tubal factor infertility (TFI) made up 132 of the patients, 67 of the women had an infertile male partner and 109 were infertile for unknown reasons.


RESULTS
Of the TFI patients 29 (22.0%) were seropositive to the major adhesin, MgPa, of M. genitalium versus 11 (6.3%) in the group of women with normal tubes. No cross-reactions between MgPa and P1 of the related Mycoplasma pneumoniae were found. Besides, MgPa positive sera were confirmed by immunoblotting using a cloned fragment of the C-terminal part of MgPa specific to M. genitalium. Chlamydia trachomatis is known to be able to cause infertility as a result of salpingitis. Therefore, the sera were tested against C. trachomatis using a commercial ELISA test. Seventy-five (56.8%) of the TFI patients were seropositive to C. trachomatis. Eight (27.6%) TFI patients seropositive to MgPa were negative to C. trachomatis.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that M. genitalium may be an independent risk factor in the development of an inflammatory process leading to scarring of the uterine tubes in women and thereby causing infertility.
Clausen
H F
HF
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, The Bartholin Building, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. hellef@biobase.dk
Fedder
J
J
Drasbek
M
M
Nielsen
P K
PK
Toft
B
B
Ingerslev
H J
HJ
Birkelund
S
S
Christiansen
G
G
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012016:Reference Values; D012698:Serologic Tests
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C073268:adhesin, Mycoplasma genitalium