title: Cervical Ureaplasma urealyticum colonization might be associated with increased incidence of preterm delivery in pregnant women without prophlogistic microorganisms on routine examination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether the detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum DNA in the cervix is associated with preterm labor and delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two women (23 preterm labor cases and 59 controls) with no evidence of prophlogistic microorganisms on routine microbiologic examination were enrolled for this study. U. urealyticum colonization was examined using polymerase chain reaction of cervical swabs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positivity rate of U. urealyticum DNA in preterm labor cases was significantly higher than that in the controls (87.0%vs 45.8%, P=0.0007). Women in the U. urealyticum-positive group more frequently delivered preterm compared with those in the negative group (36.2%vs 11.4%, P=0.0111). In five cases that delivered preterm with histologically confirmed chorioamnionitis, U. urealyticum DNA was detected in the placenta.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical U. urealyticum colonization might be associated with preterm labor and delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan. mitsunar@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsunari
authors.forename: Souichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Imari
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Deura
authors.forename: Sayako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsukihara
authors.forename: Tasuku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terakawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial