Polymerase chain reaction-based subtyping of ureaplasma parvum and ureaplasma urealyticum in first-pass urine samples from men with or without urethritis.
BACKGROUND
Our previous study suggested a significant association between Ureaplasma urealyticum and nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). However, association of the serovars of U. urealyticum with NGU remains unclear. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay can distinguish 4 serovars of Ureaplasma parvum from each other and categorize 10 serovars of U. urealyticum into 3 subtypes: subtype 1 (serovars 2, 5, 8, and 9), subtype 2 (serovars 4, 10, 12, and 13), and subtype 3 (serovars 7 and 11).


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to determine which subtypes of U. urealyticum are associated with NGU as determined by PCR-based assay.


METHODS
The prevalence of U. urealyticum subtypes in 106 ureaplasma-positive men with urethritis was compared with that in 30 ureaplasma-positive men without urethritis.


RESULTS
: In men with nonchlamydial NGU and men with Mycoplasma genitalium-negative nonchlamydial NGU, only U. urealyticum subtype 1 (serovars 2, 5, 8, and 9) was detected significantly more often than in men without urethritis.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that subtype 1 of U. urealyticum (serovars 2, 5, 8, and 9) is associated with NGU independently of Chlamydia trachomatis or M. genitalium.
Yoshida
Takashi
T
Research and Development Department 1, Mitsubishi Kagaku Bio-Clinical Laboratories, Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
Ishiko
Hiroaki
H
Yasuda
Mitsuru
M
Takahashi
Yoshito
Y
Nomura
Yuri
Y
Kubota
Yasuaki
Y
Tamaki
Masayoshi
M
Maeda
Shin-ichi
S
Deguchi
Takashi
T
D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity; D014509:Ureaplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014526:Urethritis / Q000453:epidemiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial