title: Histological Evidence of Chronic Mycoplasma genitalium-Induced Cervicitis in HIV-Infected Women: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
abstract: Mycoplasma genitalium is an emerging sexually transmitted pathogen implicated in inflammatory syndromes of the female reproductive tract. The objective of this study was to investigate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women for an association between M. genitalium and cervicitis, a putative mechanism for enhanced HIV transmission efficiency to an uninfected partner.
  
  
  
  Using a longitudinal cohort of antiretroviral therapy-adherent New Orleans women, we retrospectively screened for M. genitalium and quantitatively characterized several markers of cervical inflammation, including secreted cytokines and cytological and histological signs of leukocyte infiltration.
  
  
  
  We observed a high prevalence of M. genitalium (7.4%) among HIV-infected New Orleans women. Chronic M. genitalium infection was associated with increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, and interleukin 8, and marked inflammatory cervical infiltrates in the cervix with enrichment of HIV target cells. Cure of M. genitalium infection resulted in ablation of all signs of inflammation.
  
  
  
  These findings implicate M. genitalium as an etiologic agent of cervicitis in HIV-infected women, providing a potential mechanism for enhanced HIV transmission to an uninfected partner. Screening and treatment of M. genitalium among HIV-infected individuals may be warranted to further understand this coinfection scenario, improve cervical health, and reduce the spread of HIV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dehon
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hagensee
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology.
authors.forename: Kimberly J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology.
authors.forename: Hope E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Oddo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology.
authors.forename: Nia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.
authors.forename: Chris L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: McGowin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: AIDS; HIV; Mycoplasma genitalium; cervical inflammation; cervicitis; inflammation; sexually transmitted infection