The use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of Mycoplasma hominis antibodies in infertile women serum samples.
BACKGROUND
Besides Chlamydiae trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis may also cause infertility due to damage of the Fallopian tubes. Therefore serum samples from infertile women were analyzed for antibodies to M. hominis.


METHODS
Sera from 304 infertile women were investigated for seropositivity to M. hominis by immunoblotting and a developed ELISA. Women were classified into groups based on the type of infertility: infertile due to lack of passage in Fallopian tubes (TFI, tubal factor infertility), an infertile male partner (MFI, male factor infertility) and unexplained infertility (UFI, unexplained factor infertility). Three M. hominis isolates were used in the immunoblotting analysis and clear differences in patient immunoprofiles were observed between two isolates. For the ELISA we used a mixture of Triton X-114 extracted membrane proteins from those two M. hominis isolates as antigen.


RESULTS
Ninety-seven sera (32%) were seropositive to M. hominis when tested by the ELISA. There was a significant correlation between TFI and seropositivity to M. hominis (P = 0.0015, OR = 2.21, CI = 1.35-3.61). We compared the seropositivity of 304 patients to M. hominis with the presence of antibodies against two other bacteria Chlamydiae trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium and there was no statistical correlation between those bacteria and M. hominis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that M. hominis may be an independent predictor of TFI.
Baczynska
Agata
A
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Aarhus University, Denmark. agata@medmicro.au.dk
Friis Svenstrup
Helle
H
Fedder
Jens
J
Birkelund
Svend
S
Christiansen
Gunna
G
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000382:microbiology*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium / Q000276:immunology; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000276:immunology*; D017830:Octoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017830:Octoxynol; C010615:Nonidet P-40