title: Real-time PCR detection of the mg219 gene of unknown function of Mycoplasma genitalium in men with and without non-gonococcal urethritis and their female partners in England.
abstract: Real-time PCR was employed to detect a region of the Mycoplasma genitalium mg219 gene, a gene of unknown function, in clinical samples. Amplification of DNA and signal production from 15 other species of human mycoplasmas and 14 other bacteria and viruses did not occur. Using a panel of 208 genital and rectal samples, the sensitivity when compared to the modified mgpa gene (encoding the major surface protein MgPa) real-time PCR assay was found to be 100% and the specificity of the assay 99.5% with a positive predictive value of 80% and a negative predictive value of 100%. The mg219 gene was found to be in all strains of M. genitalium and was highly conserved. M. genitalium was detected in 3.9% (11/280, 95% CI 2.1-6.9) of all male specimens, in 7.7% (10/130, 95% CI 4.1-13.7) of patients with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) and in 0.7% (1/150, 95% CI <0.01-4.1) of patients without urethritis. The presence of M. genitalium was significantly associated with NGU (P < or =0.01; 95% Cl 0.88-0.98) and non-chlamydial-non-gonococcal urethritis (P=0.0005; 95% Cl 0.84-0.97).
authors.affiliation: Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Laboratory, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
authors.forename: Victoria J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Chalker
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory, Northampton General Hospital Trust, Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Laboratory, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Laboratory, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014526:Urethritis / Q000382:microbiology*