Mycoplasma genitalium is associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic non-gonococcal urethritis in men.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium in a large number of male patients attending a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic and to determine if there is an association with objective non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in patients with and without clinical symptoms.


METHODS
Patients were tested for both M genitalium and Chlamydia trachomatis if they had symptoms or microscopic signs of NGU or if they were perceived to be at high-risk of exposure to a STI (n = 8468). Urethral smears were examined for polymorphic mononuclear leucocytes.


RESULTS
We found that M genitalium infection was associated with symptoms of non-chlamydial NGU (discharge and dysuria; OR 4.3; 95% CI 3.4 to 5.5). We also found that M genitalium infection was associated with signs of non-chlamydial NGU independently with or without symptoms of NGU (with symptoms: OR 4.7; 95% CI 3.2 to 6.7; without symptoms: OR 3.1; 95% CI 2.0 to 4.6). Prevalence of M genitalium was also associated with severity of urethritis as quantified by microscopic examination of urethral smears.


CONCLUSIONS
These data add further evidence to the association of M genitalium infection with NGU and should allow better risk analysis of recent recommendations of not performing urethral smears in asymptomatic men attending STI clinics.
Moi
H
H
Olafia, Medical Division, Rikshospitalet University Hospital and University of Oslo, Medical Faculty, Oslo, Norway.
Reinton
N
N
Moghaddam
A
A
D000328:Adult; D053159:Dysuria / Q000382:microbiology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014526:Urethritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology