Ureaplasma urealyticum: Presence among Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The aim of this study was to detect the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum in genital specimens of symptomatic patients. This study also examined the role of U. urealyticum in infections of the lower genital tract. Cervical and urethral samples from 96 patients (46 males, 50 females) were tested using the Seeplex((R)) STD6 ACE kit. Consent forms were received and a questionnaire was applied. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS statistical software program (version 17.0). Among the samples tested, at least 1 pathogen was detected in 49% of the samples; specifically, the rate of detection of U. urealyticum, M. hominis, C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, M. genitalium, and T. vaginalis was 29.1%, 10.4%, 8.3%, 7.3%, 6.3%, and 4.2%, respectively. U. urealyticum was detected as the sole pathogen in samples from 10% of female patients and 28.3% of male patients (p = 0.035). U. urealyticum was present in 54.5% (18/33) of samples in which a single pathogen was detected and 71.4% (10/14) of samples in which multiple pathogens were detected. Among men, significant differences in discharge, dysuria, and pruritus were not noted among those with negative results (84.6%, 69.2%, and 38.5%, respectively), among those positive for only U. urealyticum (100%, 66.7%, and 26.7%, respectively), and those positive for N. gonorrhoeae, C. trachomatis, M. genitalium, and T. vaginalis (100%, 93.3%, and 26.7%, respectively). Detection of U. urealyticum, either alone or together with other pathogens, in a symptomatic group of patients is an important finding, particularly in men.