Relevant prevalence of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum serogroups in HIV-1 infected men without urethritis symptoms

Abstract

M. hominis and U. urealyticum are the better-known mycoplasma species pathogenic to the human genitourinary tract, causing mainly urethritis, bacterial vaginosis and pregnancy complications. In HIV-infected patients, the prevalence and role of these species is still not well known. The aim of this work was to determinate the prevalence of these species in this group of male patients (HIV group), in comparison to a group of men with clinical symptoms of urethritis (STD group). M. hominis was isolated from 7.5% patients (8/106) and U. urealyticum from 18.9% patients (20/106) from the HIV group, being among these 62.5% and 85% in significant concentrations, respectively. In the STD group these rates were 0.9% (1/110) for M. hominis and 13.6% (15/110) for U. urealyticum, being 100% and 93.3% in significant concentrations, respectively. We could demonstrate infection rates by these mycoplasma species in the HIV group as high as the one found in the STD one, what may indicate the occurrence of opportunistic infections in our population. This fact is discussed here because in immunosuppressed patients, specially M. hominis has been reported causing severe infections, even systemically.

Prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Chlamydia trachomatis in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

“…M. hominis and U. urealyticum are commonly found in the genitourinary tract as causative agents for several STDs. In men, U. urealyticum is a major cause of non-gonococcal urethritis, which may also be caused by M. hominis to a lesser extent ( 12 ). These microorganisms can cause sexually transmitted reactive arthritis (Reiter's syndrome), epididymitis and chronic prostatitis, and are suggested to play a role in pregnancy complications.…”

Mollicutes/HIV Coinfection and the Development of AIDS: Still Far from a Definitive Response

“…Similar data on women show that vaginal colonization rates by M. hominis and U. urealyticum range from zero to 31% and 8.5% to 77.5%, respectively, according to age, race, sexual experience, and socioeconomic status. A high incidence of infection by these microorganisms in Brazil, for instance, has also been demonstrated [ 10 , 11 ].…”

“…A better understanding of this relationship may have major implications for the quality of life of infected individuals, preventing, for example, the development of systemic infections, possibly lethal, as has been observed at least with M. fermentans . Even better known Mycoplasma species such as M. hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum / parvum can be isolated from individuals infected with HIV at higher rates than from HIV-negative individuals [ 10 ]. In fact, a number of microorganisms have been proposed as potential HIV cofactors in the development of AIDS, such as Leishmania , mycobacteria, and viruses [ 6 ].…”

Detecção de Mycoplasma genitalium, M. fermentans e M. penetrans em pacientes com sintomas de uretrite e em indivíduos infectados pelo HIV-1 no Brasil

“…Acreditamos que tanto o papel de M. genitalium nas uretrites não-gonocócicas quanto a infecção por M. penetrans e M. fermentans em indivíduos imunodeprimidos devem ser mais bem considerados. Mesmo a maior taxa de infecção por M. hominis no grupo de pacientes infectados pelo HIV pode revelar a possibilidade de esta espécie estar causando infecções mais importantes e mais graves nestes pacientes, conforme discutido previamente (8). Somente a ampliação do conhecimento sobre os tipos de infecção causados pelos micoplasmas e a capacitação dos laboratórios clínicos para a sua detecção são capazes de ajudar a confirmar a associação destes microrganismos com estas manifestações pouco usuais, que podem estar ocorrendo em nosso meio com uma freqüência maior do que se imagina.…”