[Generalized mycoplasma infection in patients and carriers].

AIM: Study of possibility of generalization of mycoplasma infection in patients with urogenital pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the examined patients 5 males characterized by risky sexual behavior with pronounced symptoms of infection or without those were selected. Patients were examined by a complex of methods for the presence of mycoplasma infection by culture, PCR, DFA, PHA, AHR and by detection of specific immune complexes in blood sera. Scrapes from urogenital tract, blood sera samples, urine, saliva, prostatic fluid were materials for the study. RESULTS: In blood of all patients in ELISA antibodies against Mycoplasma hominis were detected; in PHA they were detected only in 2 individuals. In all the patients in blood CIC were detected including antigens and DNA of one or several mycoplasma species. Sperm of 3 individuals was infected by Ureaplasma spp., 2--M. genitalium. In saliva of 2 individuals M. hominis was detected, 3--U. urealyticum. CONCLUSION: In all the examined patients the infection was shown to have generalized character. This phenomenon presents itself as quite significant because mycoplasma may cause anti-apoptotic and oncogenic effect.

[Persistence of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in organism of infected animals].

AIM: To study the possibility of existence of antigenemia during urogenital mycoplasmal infections by detection the antigens of agents in blood and viscera of infected animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rabbits and mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum, their antigens and DNAs. Samples of blood and visceral organs were studied by several methods: cultural with use of standard media, PCR, RT-PCR, indirect hemagglutination test, and immunofluorescence assay for detection of antibodies. RESULTS: Bacteremia with M. hominis develops during 2 months after inoculation in rabbits and 3 weeks after inoculation in mice. Antigens of M. hominis and U. urealyticum were detected in serum and visceral organs significantly frequently than live cells and DNAs. Prolonged preservation of the antigens in animals' blood and viscera after intraperitoneal administration of "pure" antigens points to the presence of true mycoplasmal antigenemia. Forms of existence of antigens in organism are different-they can represent corpuscular antigens as well as soluble molecular compounds circulating in blood both in free state and in structure of immune complexes. Antigens as well as live cells are preserved in all studied organs. CONCLUSION: Inoculation of rabbits and mice with M. hominis or U. urealyticum resulted in development of generalized infection with persistence of the agent in all studied organs during initial phase of infection and predominant persistence in organs of immunogenesis during later phases.

[Serum detection of human urogenital mycoplasma].

The authors compared the detection rate of DNA of urogenital Mycoplasmas (Ureaplasma spp. and M. hominis) in the urogenital tract (UGT) and serum samples by polymerase chain reaction. Testing the smears and serum samples from the same patients (n = 112) showed that Ureaplasma was more frequently detected in the UGT smears than in the serum samples. There was the same trend towards M. hominis although the difference was not so significant. Therefore, the detection of these microorganisms in UGT is of more informative value for diagnostic purposes. Examination of the serum samples for these purposes provides useful information in understanding the mechanisms of generalization of Mycoplasma infections and studying the routes and modes of spreading these bacteria in the organism.

[Duration of preservation of viable cells, DNA, and antigens of Mycoplasma hominis and ureaplasmas in human serum at 37 degrees C].

How long the viable cells of M. hominis, Ureaplasma spp., U. urealyticum, U. parvum, and their antigens retained in human serum at 37 degrees C was investigated. M. hominis cells were shown to hold their viability within 12 days with a gradual titer drop, the antigens being also detected within 12 days whereas intracellular and extracellular DNAs were seen within 40 days (an observation time). Under the same conditions, Ureaplasma cells died after 24 hours, their antigens were disrupted following 3 days and intracellular and extracellular DNAs of different species were detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) within 17-40 days. The long preservation of extracellular and dead cell DNAs suggests that diagnostic examination of patients by means of PCR may yield false-positive results.

[Mycoplasmas in non-gonococcal urethritis].

The paper presents data on the etiological role of different types of genital mycoplasmas, such as U. urealyticum (U), M. hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), in the development of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). A hundred and twenty patients with acute and chronic urethritis were examined. A control group comprised clinically healthy males. Polymerase chain reaction and cultural tests more frequently revealed genital Mycoplasmas in patients with acute and chronic urethritis than in the controls, Uu being more common than other mycoplasmas. Uu antibodies were detected only in some part of the infected, more frequently in acute urethritis. Class G antibodies to Mh were equally identified in healthy individuals and patients. Criteria for the involvement of Mycoplasma infection in the development of NGU are presented.

[The comparison of mycoplasma detection methods in the urogenital tract infection].

Six different methods have been employed to detect M. hominis (Mh) and U. urealyticum (Uu) in clinical samples collected from 67 men. The results obtained by PCR and IF test were approximately equal: 13.6 and 13.44%--Mh and 44.4 and 48.8%--Uu, respectively. Mycoplasmas were detected by cultural method less frequently (9.6%--Mh, 32.2%--Uu). The highest infection rates were obtained in the test for blood antigens (40%--Mh and 63%--Uu). At present a commercial diagnosticum to detect mycoplasma antigents in blood is lacking. Sometimes the results of cultural method are positive, while the PCR results are negative. So the optimal scheme based on both PCR and culture has been proposed.