title: Selection of Mycoplasma genitalium strains harbouring macrolide resistance-associated 23S rRNA mutations by treatment with a single 1 g dose of azithromycin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A single 1 g dose regimen of azithromycin has been recommended for the treatment of Mycoplasma genitalium infections. The authors evaluated whether this regimen could select M genitalium strains with macrolide resistance after treatment for M genitalium-positive non-gonococcal urethritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In seven men with non-gonococcal urethritis, who were infected with M genitalium without macrolide resistance-associated mutations but experienced microbiological azithromycin treatment failure, M genitalium DNAs in their post-treatment urine specimens were examined for mutations in the 23S rRNA gene and the ribosomal protein genes of L4 and L22. To assess the relatedness of M genitalium strains before and after treatment, their DNAs in pretreatment and post-treatment urine were genotyped by analysing short tandem repeats of an AGT/AAT unit in the MG309 gene and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the MG191 gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In four of seven patients, M genitalium in post-treatment urine had an A-to-G transition at nucleotide position 2071 or 2072, corresponding to 2058 or 2059 in the 23S rRNA gene of Escherichia coli. In one of the four strains, Pro81Ser in the ribosomal protein L4 accompanied the mutation in the 23S rRNA gene. The genotyping of M genitalium DNAs suggested that these four post-treatment strains were selected from the respective closely related or identical pretreatment strains without macrolide resistance-associated mutations by the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The single 1 g dose treatment of azithromycin could select M genitalium strains harbouring macrolide resistance-associated mutations. For M genitalium, this regimen might increase the risk of macrolide resistance selection after treatment.
authors.affiliation: iClinic, 7-19-26 Naga-Machi, Taihaku-Ku, Sendai, Japan..
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoi
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishiko
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deguchi
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D014526:Urethritis / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D017963:Azithromycin