Ureaplasma urealyticum serotypes isolated from cases of female sterility

Ureaplasma strains isolated from vagina, cervix, endometrium or urine of 45 infertile women (121 strains) and 54 fertile women (145 strains) were tested using the growth inhibition test with standard Ureaplasma sera (types 1 through 8). Serotypes 3, 4 and 6 were more frequently recovered. Predominance of serotype 3 (35.5% of cases) over serotype 6 (22.2% of cases) in the infertile group, and conversely, predominance of serotype 6 (33.3%) over serotype 3 (20.3%) in the fertile women were noted. Serotype 4 was present in 15.5% of infertile subjects and 14.8% of the fertile ones. Serotypes 1, 2, 7 and 8 were found in proportions ranging between 1.8 and 11.1% of the positive Ureaplasma subjects. Serotypes 5 was never isolated. The predominant frequency of serotype 3 in infertile women and of serotype 6 in fertile women was observed regardless of the samples from which the strains were isolated. The proportion of non-typable strains amounted to 1.6% of strains isolated from the infertile group and to 5.5% of those isolated from the fertile group. The authors suggest the utilization of the serotyping scheme with 8 serotypes (Black and Shepard) for epidemiological studies including the transmissibility of genital Ureaplasma infection.