Microbial load of umbilical cord blood Ureaplasma species and Mycoplasma hominis in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate Ureaplasma species and M. hominis DNA in the umbilical cord blood and its correlation with its microbial load in the amniotic fluid, as a measure of microbial burden in fetal inflammatory response and neonatal outcome in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (pPROM).


METHODS
A retrospective study of 158 women with singleton pregnancies complicated by pPROM between 24(0/7) and 36(6/7) weeks was conducted. Amniotic fluid was obtained from all women by transabdominal amniocentesis, and umbilical cord blood was obtained by venipuncture from umbilical cords immediately after the delivery of the neonates. The Ureaplasma species and M. hominis DNA was quantitated using absolute quantification techniques.


RESULTS
Ureaplasma species and M. hominis DNA was identified in 9% of the umbilical cord blood samples. No correlation between the amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood microbial load was observed. The presence of Ureaplasma species and M. hominis DNA in the umbilical cord blood had no impact on short-term neonatal morbidity.


CONCLUSIONS
A high microbial load of genital mycoplasma Ureaplasma species DNA in the umbilical cord in pregnancies complicated by pPROM is not associated with a high fetal inflammatory response and is therefore not associated with serious neonatal morbidity.
Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic .
Marian
M
Kacerovsky
Lenka
L
Pliskova
Ramkumar
R
Menon
Radka
R
Kutova
Ivana
I
Musilova
Jan
J
Maly
Ctirad
C
Andrys
D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014509:Ureaplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6
Amniotic fluid; fetal inflammatory response; genital mycoplasmas