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Association of Ureaplasma urealyticum (biovar 2) with nongonococcal urethritis
Takashi Deguchi1, Takashi Yoshida, Takamaro Miyazawa
1Department of Urology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan. deguchit@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
Background:
The tiny (T)-strain mycoplasmas, designated in 1974 as Ureaplasma urealyticum, have been divided into 2 species, Ureaplasma parvum (biovar 1) and U. urealyticum (biovar 2), but association of each of these species with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) remains unclear.
Goal:
The goal of this study was to determine whether U. parvum (biovar 1) or U. urealyticum (biovar 2) is associated with NGU.
Study Design:
The prevalences of U. parvum (biovar 1) and U. urealyticum (biovar 2) in 572 patients with urethritis were compared with those in 141 men without urethritis.
Results:
The prevalence of U. urealyticum (biovar 2) in men with NGU (15.8%) or with nonchlamydial NGU (18.0%) was significantly higher than that in men without urethritis (7.8%). The prevalence of U. parvum (biovar 1) in men with NGU (8.5%) or with nonchlamydial NGU (11.1%) did not differ significantly from that in men without urethritis (13.5%).
Conclusion:
Our results showed a significant association between U. urealyticum (biovar 2) and NGU. They also suggest that the presence of U. parvum (biovar 1) in the male urethra might be the result of colonization.
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