Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Ureaplasma biovars and Ureaplasma parvum (U. parvum) serovars, their associated risk factors, and genital STI-related symptoms. Methods DNA obtained from cervical samples of 1053 women attending the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the laboratory of pathological anatomy of Hassan II university hospital of Fez, Morocco, was used to detect Ureaplasma biovars (U. urealyticum and U. parvum) and to subtype U. parvum by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results Of the 1053 women examined, 25.4% (268/1053) were Ureaplasma positives. The rates of U. urealyticum and U. parvum were 12.1% (128/1053) and 7% (74/1053), respectively, and the copresence of these biovars was noted in 6.3% (66/1053) cases. The U. parvum subtyping revealed a predominance of the serovar 3/14 (61.4%). The association of demographics variables with Ureaplasma biovars was studied and shows that the age (“<30” years) seems to be a risk factor of Ureaplasma spp. and U. urealyticum carriage (OR 1.729, 95% CI [1.113-2.687] and OR 1.848, 95% CI [1.026-3.330], respectively). There was no difference in the prevalence of Ureaplasma type regarding symptoms. However, a significant association was found between U. parvum serovar 1 and infertility (P = 0.011). Conclusion This first study conducted in Morocco provides an idea on Ureaplasma biovars and U. parvum serovars circulating in this region, their associated risk factors, and genital STI-related symptoms. Therefore, further studies are required to clarify and confirm the pathogenic role of these Ureaplasma species.
Highlights
Urogenital Ureaplasma belongs to the normal commensal flora of the human genital tract [1, 2]
The present study aims at determining the prevalence of Ureaplasma biovars and U. parvum serovars, their associated risk factors, and genital STI- related symptoms
The U. parvum subtyping results show that U. parvum serovar 3/14 was the most prevalent followed by serovars 1 and 6, respectively
Summary
Urogenital Ureaplasma belongs to the normal commensal flora of the human genital tract [1, 2]. It can be pathogenic when its bacterial load is ≥104 organisms per ml (infectious dose). This rate is commonly accepted as a burden indicating an infection that should be treated [2, 3]. The specific identification of each species is based on molecular methods [5], and some studies shows that U. parvum is more common than the most pathogenic U. urealyticum [6]. The colonization rate in healthy women is about 18-87% for U. parvum and about 6-10% for U. urealyticum [7]
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