Association of Ureaplasma urealyticum (biovar 2) with nongonococcal urethritis.
BACKGROUND
The tiny (T)-strain mycoplasmas, designated in 1974 as Ureaplasma urealyticum, have been divided into 2 species, Ureaplasma parvum (biovar 1) and U. urealyticum (biovar 2), but association of each of these species with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) remains unclear.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to determine whether U. parvum (biovar 1) or U. urealyticum (biovar 2) is associated with NGU.


METHODS
The prevalences of U. parvum (biovar 1) and U. urealyticum (biovar 2) in 572 patients with urethritis were compared with those in 141 men without urethritis.


RESULTS
The prevalence of U. urealyticum (biovar 2) in men with NGU (15.8%) or with nonchlamydial NGU (18.0%) was significantly higher than that in men without urethritis (7.8%). The prevalence of U. parvum (biovar 1) in men with NGU (8.5%) or with nonchlamydial NGU (11.1%) did not differ significantly from that in men without urethritis (13.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed a significant association between U. urealyticum (biovar 2) and NGU. They also suggest that the presence of U. parvum (biovar 1) in the male urethra might be the result of colonization.
Deguchi
Takashi
T
Department of Urology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan. deguchit@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
Yoshida
Takashi
T
Miyazawa
Takamaro
T
Yasuda
Mitsuru
M
Tamaki
Masayoshi
M
Ishiko
Hiroaki
H
Maeda
Shin-Ichi
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum; D014526:Urethritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*