title: Simultaneous detection and identification of STI pathogens by multiplex Real-Time PCR in genital tract specimens in a selected area of Apulia, a region of Southern Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Genital tract infections are globally a major cause of morbidity in sexually active individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associations of co-infections of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and Ureaplasma parvum (UP) in specimens collected from female (SF) and male (SM) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  1575 samples from 1575 individuals from the geographical area around Bari, Apulia region in Southern Italy, were collected and analyzed by a multiplex Real-Time PCR (mRT-PCR) (AnyplexTMII STI-7, Seegene, Inc., Seoul, Korea) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  455/1575 (28.89%) samples resulted positive for at least one of the targets named above. Statistically significant differences in prevalence of the pathogens between SF and SM were not detected except for UP (24.92% in SF vs 8.91% in SM). Prevalence of co-infections was 6.84 and 3.96% in SF and SM, respectively. Moreover, MH presence in SF, but not in SM, was associated with UU and UP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest different patterns of infections between females and male and the importance of an increased vigilance of sexually transmitted pathogens to reduce the burden on general population and the sequelae or the complications on reproductive organs.
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University of Bari " Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 4-I-70124, Bari, Italy. raffaele.delprete@uniba.it.|UOC Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Policlinico di Bari, Bari, Italy. raffaele.delprete@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9409-3388
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Del Prete
authors.affiliation: UOC Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Policlinico di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ronga
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University of Bari " Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 4-I-70124, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lestingi
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University of Bari " Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 4-I-70124, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addati
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University of Bari " Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 4-I-70124, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto Filippo
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Angelotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University of Bari " Aldo Moro", Piazza G. Cesare, 4-I-70124, Bari, Italy.|UOC Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Policlinico di Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miragliotta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Co-infections; Genital tract; Multiplex Real-Time PCR; Sexually transmitted infections