Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in pregnant women.
BACKGROUND
Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum are important opportunistic pathogens implicated in urogenital infections and complicated pregnancy. We aimed to study the role of these pathogens in symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women and determine their clinical significance and antibiotic susceptibility.


METHODS
One hundred pregnant women were included in the study, 50 symptomatic patients and 50 asymptomatic controls. Duplicate endocervical samples were taken from each individual and analyzed using the Mycoplasma IST-2 kit and A7 agar medium. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested against doxycycline, josamycin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, and pristinamycin using the Mycoplasma IST-2 kit.


RESULTS
Twelve symptomatic pregnant women had spontaneous abortions. Of these, eight (66.7%) cases had been colonized with M. hominis and/or U. urealyticum. Of the pregnant women infected with M. hominis and/or U. urealyticum, 40.7% delivered a low birth weight infant. M. hominis was successfully cultured in five women (5%) and U. urealyticum in 27 (27%). Among positive cultures, 15.6% and 84.4% of isolates were M. hominis and U. urealyticum, respectively. M. hominis and U. urealyticum were uniformly susceptible to doxycycline, tetracycline, and pristinamycin, which may be successfully used in the empirical therapy of infected individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
It can be concluded that genital colonization with M. hominis and U. urealyticum may predispose to spontaneous abortion and low birth weight.
Bayraktar
Mehmet Refik
MR
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44315 Malatya, Turkey. mrtmehmet@yahoo.com
Ozerol
Ibrahim Halil
IH
Gucluer
Nilay
N
Celik
Onder
O
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents