Mycoplasma hominis and interstitial cystitis

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic interstitial cystitis is a debilitating bladder condition.
• Urinary tract instrumentation is common in urologic patient care.
• The role of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in urologic conditions is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of antibodies to Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in patients with chronic interstitial cystitis.
• To compare antibody incidence with a control group of urologic patients.

Main Methods:

• Indirect hemagglutination assay was used to detect antibodies.
• Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were isolated from urine samples.
• Patients with chronic interstitial cystitis were compared to age- and sex-matched women treated for bladder tumors.

Main Results:

• Antibodies to Mycoplasma hominis were detected in 56% of interstitial cystitis patients, with 44% having high titers (≥160).
• Antibodies to Ureaplasma urealyticum were found in 19% of patients, with only one high titer.
• M. hominis and U. urealyticum were isolated from a small number of urine samples.
• A similar incidence of M. hominis antibodies was observed in the control group.

Conclusions:

• A high incidence of indirect hemagglutination antibodies to Mycoplasma hominis is present in patients with chronic interstitial cystitis and those undergoing urinary tract instrumentation.
• The frequent detection of M. hominis antibodies in these urologic patient groups, particularly after instrumentation, requires further investigation to explain the underlying cause.